For help in distinguishing among all the great Northwest artisan cheeses, here is a short - and certainly not comprehensive - starter guide from Angela Allen.

SCIO HERITAGE: Ancient Heritage Dairy’s hard raw sheep’s milk cheese is made from the milk of the East Friesian flock in Scio, Oregon. www.ancientheritagedairy.com

LARZAC: A soft-ripened goat’s milk cheese with a layer of grape-leaf ash in the center, it’s one of Monteillet Fromagerie’s best sellers. Dayton, Washington 509-382-1917

OREGONZOLA: One of Rogue Creamery’s award-winning blues from Central Point, Oregon. www.roguecreamery.com

GARLIC-ONION CHEVRE: A signature soft goat’s milk cheese from Country Pride Farm in Ridgefield, Oregon. 360-687-1625

CAMEMBERT: A French-style, soft-ripened, single-herd Jersey cow’s milk cheese from Oregon Gourmet Cheeses in Albany, Oregon. www.oregongourmetcheeses.com

GOUDA: An award-winning, nutty-flavored, semi-hard Gouda from Willamette Valley Cheese Co. in Salem, Oregon. www.wvcheeseco.com

Posted by Laura Ford at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 )

When reviewing the artwork for this feature story on cheese I was struck by how much effort our photographer put into styling the cheese. The beautiful rounds adorned with whole peppercorns were striking. I complimented her on going above and beyond the call of duty but she informed me the cheese came that way! One more reason to support the many artisanal cheese producers in our region—the cheese is as great to look at as it is to eat. -Deborah Kane

Monteillet Fromagerie's artisan cheeses. Photo by Christine Hyatt

THE FRENCH CONNECTION
A Northwest Cheesemaker Uses Techniques from the Old Country
Written by Angela Allen
For Fall 2007

Pierre-Louis Monteillet is easy to spot on Saturdays at the Portland Farmers Market. Wearing his trademark boater, graying ponytail pulled back, he cuts a debonair figure when he arrives on the South Park Blocks with several coolers of his farmstead cheeses.

When the market bell rings, his booth turns into a busy hub. All it takes for shoppers to ante up is a taste of his ash-rolled Le Roi Noir or Mejean, a syrah-soaked sheep cheese.

On a very good day, he sells as much as $1,200 of handmade cheese named for the plateaus near his former home in south central France. His cheeses range from a delicate herbed fresh goat variety to a soft-ripened Larzac, characterized by its inner layer of grape-leaf ash. The hard Causse Noir, made with two-thirds goat’s milk and one-third sheep’s milk, is aged for three months. His Provençale cheese is marinated in truffle-infused olive oil and is spiced with peppercorns, rosemary, garlic, and summer savory.

Each cheese is distinctive, and if you visit his booth week after week, each will taste slightly differently from the same type sampled the previous week. It all has to do with its artisan characteristics: handmade, farmstead, and seasonal.

Pierre-Louis and his wife, Joan, raise 35 French Alpine goats and 35 Friesian and Lacaune sheep on their 31-acre farmstead in Dayton, Washington, 28 miles northeast of Walla Walla.

Continue reading " Regional artisanal cheesemakers go above and beyond: Pierre-Louis Monteillet " »

Posted by Deborah Kane at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Allow me to share with you a line from the article "Eco-Harmony on the Farm."

A turkey sex education course was in order. It turns out that the demand for weighty, big-breasted birds, organic or otherwise, has driven the evolution of commercial turkeys to the point that it is physically impossible for the Tom to reach the hen.

Think about that for a second.
-Deborah Kane

The American Bronze turkey is one of four heritage breeds raised by Andy and Jeannette Westlund at Harmony J.A.C.K. Farms.

ECO-HARMONY ON THE FARM
Heritage Free-Range Turkeys at Harmony J.A.C.K. Farms
Written by Diane Morgan
For Fall 2007

To understand Andy Westlund, owner of Harmony J.A.C.K. Farms, and why he raises heritage free-range turkeys along with beef and goats, you have to understand the back story of the farm. For Andy, that story begins with the soil.

“We are trying to build a natural system on the farm that is symbiotic, so all the components fit together,” says Andy. “You have to look at the soil first, because in the beginning an organic farm might have soil that is chemical free, but if the soil isn’t rich and full of micro-nutrients, then, honestly, it’s not much different than a commercial farm.”

Six years ago, Andy and Jeannette Westlund bought farmland in Scio, Oregon and began working from the soil up to build a sustainable, USDA certified-organic farm. Balanced, healthy soil translates into pasture land full of rich, nutrient-dense grasses and crops for the free-range cows, goats, and turkeys to feed on.

Quality feed translates into quality meats, according to Andy. “We believe our beef, goat, and turkey products have more nutritious elements, such as trace minerals and many basic proteins. It makes sense to me that animals feeding on the best nutrients will produce the most complex, nutrient-rich food. People need balanced natural food, rich in enzymes, trace minerals and many micro-compounds, to build healthy bodies and minds.”

The balance of animals on the farm is another element of the natural system the Westlunds have worked to build. Cattle, the mainstay of the farm, graze on the pasture land, while goats have been added primarily for weed and brush control. The free-range turkeys can co-exist easily with goats and cows, and are the “king” of the insect eaters, helping to keep nature in balance.

Andy chose to raise free-range heritage turkeys—Bourbon Reds, American Bronze, Slate, and Narragansett—because these breeds, dating back to the Pilgrims, are as close to wild as possible. In addition, they reproduce naturally.

Continue reading " Heritage Free-Range Turkeys at Harmony J.A.C.K. Farms " »

Posted by Laura Ford at 3:16 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Photo by Rachael Torchia

Read Kelly Myers' article about Woodburn, Oregon's cultural and economic shift here. Below are a few of her favorite downtown businesses...

CARNICERIA FIN DE SEMANA
Contrary to its name, which literally means “end of the week meat market,” Fin de Semana is open all week long. There are many cuts for carne asada, or grilling. It’s hard to miss the razor-thin cross-section of beef chuck that’s the size of a throw pillow. Pig’s feet are cut crosswise in three places, but not all the way through, so cooks can snap off a piece at a time. The butchers are solicitous.
Details: 533 N. Front Street, Woodburn, OR 97071 | www.karniceria.com

MEXICO LINDO
As the first Hispanic business in Woodburn, Mexico Lindo has been open for more than 30 years. Even so, its tacos retain the kind of casual perfection found more typically at taco carts—the tortillas are tender, the meat is savory, and a line of chopped onion, lime and cilantro runs down the middle. Menudo is served on weekends.
Details: 430 N. First Street, Woodburn, OR 97071 | 503-982-1832

SALVADOR'S BAKERY
Shop here for everything from Mexican cheeses and house-made jerky to minutes-old chicharrónes and churros. Soft drinks in glass bottles are imported from Mexico, where they are made with cane sugar, not corn syrup. The selection of salsas may lure you to return as much as its carnitas and huaraches.
Details: 405 N. First Street, Woodburn, OR 97071 | 503-982-4513

Posted by Laura Ford at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

The taco truck on SE Division, the one across from Lauro Kitchen, was recently profiled in Gourmet magazine. I crave their burritos on a near daily basis. But as good as Taqueria Lindo Michoacan’s food is, I think the editors of Gourmet missed out on some serious good food in Woodburn. Check out this issue’s feature on Carne Culture…. -Deborah Kane

CARNE CULTURE: CULINARY ADVENTURES IN WOODBURN
Written by Kelly Myers
Photos by Rachael Torchia
For Fall 2007

Smoke rises from a taqueria’s wide grill and scents the air with charred meat. The taqueria is new, and it’s one of at least six places selling tacos within a five block radius. Not far away there is a line at La Morenita for tortillas, one dollar for three dozen. Families leave La Morenita with an improbable number of warm corn tortillas, sometimes needing boxes to carry them all.

In some ways, downtown Woodburn, Oregon looks like it belongs in the 1940s. Red brick buildings, polished glass storefronts, and awnings with scalloped edges evoke nostalgia for a time when Saturdays meant you went downtown to shop. Despite the Mayberry feel of its historic center, Woodburn’s demographics make it very much of the times. According to the 2000 census, Hispanics in Woodburn now outnumber Anglos, mirroring a cultural and economic shift that is changing communities across the United States.

In the center of town, a new plaza features cast iron benches, a gazebo, and wind-ruffled palm trees, much like the parks in Mexico. Indeed, an influx of immigrants from Mexico and Central America to the mid-Willamette Valley has completely revived downtown Woodburn, which was left a dead zone in the 1970s and 1980s when commercial development rose up in the city’s outlying areas. Today, it is once again a center of commerce, thanks to a unique concentration of Hispanic-owned bakeries, restaurants, tiendas (stores), carnicerías (meat markets), and taquerias, drawing shoppers from all over the region.

Continue reading " Carne Culture: Culinary Adventures in Woodburn " »

Posted by Deborah Kane at 1:57 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

I was pretty excited to get my copy of Portland Public Schools’ new 2007-2008 lunch menu. I knew that PPS was going to be featuring their Harvest of the Month program in the menu, and I wanted to see how the parents reacted at my school to news of the fact that PPS was working hard to bring more local, seasonal fruits and vegetables into the cafeteria. But the only thing one mom I talked to noticed were the chocolate goldfish on the menu. Sigh. We – parents and the folks at PPS Nutrition Services – are straddling two worlds right now: the one we want and think we can get, and the one we currently have.

I wrote this article – "Back to School" – as a plea for patience. Change really is happening, even though the chocolate goldfish make it easy to suspect otherwise.
-Deborah Kane

BACK TO SCHOOL: VOTING WITH YOUR LUNCH MONEY
Written by Deborah Kane
Photos by Bryan Wolf
For Fall 2007

Buying my daughter’s new lunchbox reminded me of a conversation we’d had at the end of last school year. She was annoyed with me because I had never taught her how to go through the school lunch line. In my defense, I had no idea I was supposed to!

But in retrospect, and away from the accusatory stares of a six-year-old, it makes perfect sense. First of all, Zoe can’t see over the lunch counter. Even if she could, she’d surely be met with the occasional unfamiliar item. Trying new foods without tremendous coaxing and encouragement has never been her strong suit. Then let’s just suppose that one day she even made it to the end of the line. Her reward? She’d have to actually interact with an adult to complete the transaction. Horror.

As for my complicity in all of this, I assumed sending her off to school with a homemade sack lunch was the right, loving thing to do. I’m still sure it was. But this school year, I’m going to teach Zoe how to go through the lunch line. Because right after Zoe asked me to, Kristy Obbink did, too.

Continue reading " Vote with your lunch money " »

Posted by Deborah Kane at 4:33 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

I’ve talked to some friends who think the story on “finding” food in Portland (below) raises some serious ethical issues. What’s your take? Have you never grabbed a ripe fig from a stranger’s yard as you walked down the sidewalk? Would you mind if someone ‘borrowed’ some of your figs?
-Deborah Kane

On the other hand, there is plenty of food to be found that grows on empty lots. For example, everyone in the neighborhood (as well as half the birds in Portland) has harvested delicious figs from the trees at NE Alberta & 20th. Although an empty lot, it's still private property - I think.

My husband was at the Multnomah County building, marriage license in hand, when the person in front of him asked the clerk about the ownership of that exact lot. In return, the man received a printout and walked away. My fiance was supposedly "too focused on our approaching marriage" to ask the man what the heck he found out. In any case, what are the ethical implications of taking food from this empty lot? I can't ask the owner for permission, which is the practice encouraged by urbanedibles.org. All I know is that I'm headed there with a ladder this weekend.
-Laura Ford

FINDERS KEEPERS: REAPING THE HARVEST OF PORTLAND'S "FOUND FOOD" MOVEMENT
Written by Lisa Weiner
For Fall 2007

You just finished a lovely meal and a piece of fruit would make for the perfect ending. Alas, your fruit bowl is empty. More and more Portlanders are solving this problem by reaching over the neighbor’s fence.

Indeed, a new trend growing here in Portland makes picking food right from the tree (or bush, or vine) much more commonplace and closer to home than a once-yearly u-pick outing. The trend is called “found food,” and it encourages us to open our eyes—and minds—to the simple, obvious fact that food is growing all around us, ripe for the picking.

Michael Bunsen’s web site, urbanedibles.org, a self-described “community database of wild food sources in Portland,” is at the center of Portland’s found food movement. The central feature of Bunsen’s site is an interactive map of Portland with flags showing where one can find figs, rosemary, apples, pears, plums and eucalyptus, to name just a few of the 100 food sources listed. Bunsen, a recent PSU graduate with degrees in German and Linguistics, began finding food in earnest five years ago when he was part of the Anarchist Gardening and Gleaning Collective.

Continue reading " Finders Keepers: The Urban Found Food Movement " »

Posted by Deborah Kane at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 )

Photo by Christine Hyatt

One of the reasons I like the edible expert column is that, well, you get to hear from the experts. You get to learn new things.

Take for example soup.

I just assumed that when making a vegetable-based soup (like the carrot ginger one in this season’s issue and pictured above) you’d need a chicken stock or veggie stock as the base. Nope! Here’s one more reason to use local, seasonal ingredients in your soups: when the featured veggies are as delicious and flavorful as what you can find in our region, all you need to do is add water!

Read fall's edible expert column, When Less is More: Simple Soups, written by Monique Siu and Kevin Gibson of Castagna.

This weekend, I highly recommend stirring up a big pot of Castagna's Carrot-Ginger Soup. (Have you checked the forecast?)

-Deborah Kane

Posted by Deborah Kane at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

My friend Joy brought over a chanterelle dish last night that was AMAZING. It had white coco beans (from Ayers Creek Farm), sun gold tomatoes, shallots, basil and chanterelles. She says she got the recipe from the cookbook Chez Panisse Vegetables. She left out the green beans…. Did I mention it was AMAZING? My husband and I literally stole the leftovers from the container she intended to take home with her. I wonder if Joy is hungry right now…. We really did steal her lunch.

Anyway, the Chez Panisse cookbook apparently has some good chanterelle recipes but so does the most recent issue of Edible Portland. Now all we’ve got to do is get Ellen Jackson to tell us where her secret chanterelle gathering spot is!

–Deborah Kane

CHANTERELLES: IN SEARCH OF THE ELUSIVE MUSHROOM
Written by Ellen Jackson
For Fall 2007

The headline on June 22, 1999 read “Fungi Move Faster than Fiscal Issues in Capitol.” The breaking news? A bill passed by the State Legislature naming the Pacific Golden chanterelle, unique to Oregon’s wild mushroom harvest, the state fungus. Things weren’t slow in the Rose City that day; Oregonians just take their mushrooms seriously.

Chanterelles grow exuberantly in the Northwest, and the golden (or yellow) variety is easy to find and identify—if you can persuade someone in the know to tell you where exactly to look. Wild mushroom hunting is a secretive sport, and its enthusiasts would sooner disclose their Social Security numbers or computer passwords than share the precise location of hard-won troves.

Impervious to cultivation, chanterelles do not survive or reproduce outside of the forest. They are a delicacy brought on by autumn’s cooling rains and ushered out by the first deep frost, fruiting between September and November in the Northwest.

For chefs and foragers, they define the fall season, much like asparagus heralds spring.

Continue reading " Edible Seasonals - Chanterelles " »

Posted by Deborah Kane at 5:31 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

I’d never heard of "wet hops" beers before reading Kevin Allman’s article in this season’s issue of Edible Portland. And if Kevin is right, my window of opportunity for trying them is narrowing.

Tonight, on September 26th, BridgePort Brewing Co. joins the other breweries Kevin mentions below and introduces its first ever wet hops beer, the Hop Harvest Ale. There's a public tasting at BridgePort (1313 NW Marshall), 7-9pm.

Gotta run, I’ve got a wet hops beer to chase down before they disappear.

–Deborah Kane

AT THE HOP: FRESH BREWS TASTE OF THE SEASON
Written by Kevin Allman
For Fall 2007

Winemakers have Beaujolais Nouveau—the fruity, barely fermented red wines sold in November six weeks after harvest. And Northwest brewers have fresh or “wet” hops beers, made from hops picked straight off the vine and added immediately to the mash. The result is a light, fruity brew that aficionados describe as “green,” “grassy,” and “chlorophyll-y,” and it’s made in small batches each autumn in Oregon, Washington, and Northern California.

Wet hops are prized for their floral, piney qualities, according to Brian Butenschoen, executive director of the Oregon Brewers Guild. “If you drink a freshhop beer,” Butenschoen says, “you would notice it had more of the aroma and flavors of the wide variety of hops in Oregon, from citrusy (tangerine to grapefruit to orange scents) to more resiny (or floral, piney, and earthy) aromas.”

Continue reading " AT THE HOP - Get your wet hops beers while they last " »

Posted by Deborah Kane at 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

WHEN LESS IS MORE: SIMPLE SOUPS
Written by Monique Siu and Kevin Gibson
Photo by Christine Hyatt
For Fall 2007

The comforting nature of soup is universal. All cultures have their own curative and restorative soups. For us, the comforting soups of childhood were Campbell’s Tomato or Chicken Noodle, and congee with beef, ginger and preserved vegetables. Reminiscing about the many wonderful soups we have eaten, we remember ones of great refinement and sophistication, and also deeply satisfying rustic ones.

Some soups are the prelude to a serious dinner; others a make-do, Sunday night one-dish meal. The Soupe au Pistou is a celebration of the season, with a profusion of ripe, seasonal vegetables. Still others are hearty winter meals of dried beans, lentils or split peas, or steaming bowls of broth packed with wontons and noodles.

We have often been inspired by the soups in France, where they are a traditional first course. The French love their soup! The most amazing French soups we have had were also the simplest. A puréed pumpkin soup at Violon d’Ingres in Paris tasted of pure pumpkin and was simply garnished with tiny buttery croutons and squares of Gruyère. At Hiramatsu we dined on a delicate broth poured over rare, thinly sliced breast of squab. A simple leek and potato soup with chunks of Gruyère was served at the start of every family dinner cooked by Aunt Melanie.

Continue reading " Edible Expert - When Less is More " »

Posted by Laura Ford at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Updated 3/26/08: Zoë Bradbury, author of "Help Wanted: Young Farmers," has answered the call and become a young farmer herself. She recently began plowing the fields on Oregon's southern coast. In 2008, she will be blogging all about her experiences on Edible Portland in a series titled Diary of a Young Farmer.

My husband and I remember a conversation we had with my parents almost 15 years ago now. We were fresh out of graduate school and announced to my folks that we wanted to be farmers. You could have heard a pin drop. Suffice to say my parents didn’t share our enthusiasm. Today my husband and I both have "desk jobs." Zoë Bradbury knows the raised eyebrow of which I speak. But lucky for us, she’s following her dreams raised eyebrows notwithstanding.

The average age of U.S. farmers is 55. Who is going to grow our food when they retire? We’re really going to have to give some serious thought to recruiting the next generation of farmers in our country.

–Deborah Kane

HELP WANTED: YOUNG FARMERS
Written by Zoë Bradbury
For Fall 2007

Every five years, the United States Department of Agriculture conducts something called the Agricultural Census. And every five years, once all the results are tallied—the irrigated acres summed, the number of women farmers counted, the gross revenues from hog production totaled (and much more)—without fail, an alarm bell sounds.

With no offense intended to my spunky, fiftysomething parents and their baby boomer friends, U.S. farmers are getting old. The national average has climbed to 55.3 years as of the last agricultural census in 2002 (the 2007 census is currently underway), and the trend is ever upward.

Well, big whoop, my parents are muttering as they read this. Fifty is the new 30 anyway....

Though that may be true, the sirens are clanging not only because farmers are getting older (in fact, more than a quarter of U.S. farmers are older than 65), but because young farmers are getting scarcer. A mere 5.8% of farmers are now under 35, compared to 16% in 1982.

If you’re digesting these numbers over breakfast, you might stop to wonder who’s going to milk the cows and grow the grain for your morning bowl of corn flakes.

Continue reading " Help Wanted: Young Farmers " »

Posted by Deborah Kane at 5:42 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 12 )

Rumor has it he might run for mayor. But politics aside, check out what Sam Adams has in his fridge - and oh! - that wonderful backyard garden…

THE FRIDGE STARTS IN BACK: CITY COMMISSIONER SAM ADAMS' MIDNIGHT GARDEN
Story and Photos by Jen Marlow
For Fall 2007

It’s 6:27 a.m. in North Portland. Sam Adams is already dressed for the day in a blue button-down dress shirt, pressed slacks and dark-rimmed glasses. He invites me inside and runs to get his electric razor.

I notice empty egg cartons stacked on the porch as I pass through the front door, and then Sam leads me straight to the backyard. We pass by the fire pit, where friends gather on cool evenings for s’mores made with last year’s stale marshmallows, and the hand-built chicken coop, ending up in a mulched garden with several raised beds.

Once in the flower patch Sam gnaws on an edible chrysanthemum flower and mentions offhand that he grows his own horseradish. He gardens at night, the only free time he has available, given his dawn-to-dusk work schedule, earning him the title of Midnight Gardener from his neighbors. The story of this urban procurer’s food life is much richer told by beginning in the garden, rather than the cold storage confines of his fridge:

sam’s garden In my backyard I grow four different kinds of apples, three different kinds of grapes, acorn squash, Atlantic pumpkins for sport, and three different kinds of potatoes: Peruvian, Austrian and fingerlings; strawberries, sweet sugar-snap peas, four different kinds of tomatoes, kiwis, and mustard greens—I love spicy mustard greens; raspberries, celery, dill, cucumbers for pickling, zucchini, and ornamental gourds for my mom.

If I can’t grow my own food, I live my everyday life in support of farmers’ markets, local food growers and local food vendors. On Wednesdays I go to the farmers’ market downtown, two blocks from my office at City Hall, and I go to the farmers’ market at PSU almost every Saturday.

Continue reading " Portland Fridge - Sam Adams' Midnight Garden " »

Posted by Deborah Kane at 4:05 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

My neighbors keep giving me tomatoes. I really should learn to can. I have a few weeks left. I hereby commit to learning. Check back in a few weeks and I’ll tell you how it went.

But in the meantime, here’s Harriet’s recipe. See Harriet's full article on tomato canning here. –Deborah Kane

INSTRUCTIONS: GETTING THE TOMATOES IN THE JAR
From Harriet Fasenfest

AMOUNT What size of jar best matches your cooking style? Use pint jars if you cook for a small number of people. For larger quantities, use quart jars. Regardless, you need 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds of tomatoes for each quart you can. A bushel of tomatoes, should you rise to the occasion, weighs 53 to 55 pounds and supplies you with approximately 40 pints.

COOKING Choose ripe, firm tomatoes. Wash and submerge them in a pot of boiling water for 10 to 20 seconds to soften the skin. Drain and place in an ice water bath to cool. Peel, remove cores and seeds, and quarter. Cut in smaller pieces if desired.

Cover the bottom of a large saucepan or stockpot with about 1 inch of diced tomatoes. Simmer while using a potato masher to bring out their juices. Cook approximately 5 minutes to render all the juice before adding the rest of the tomatoes. The mixture should contain enough liquid to cover the tomatoes when placed in the jar, but still have enough structure to lend texture to sauces and stews.

Continue reading " Instructions: Getting the Tomatoes in the Jar " »

Posted by Laura Ford at 1:53 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

It's almost here! The Fall 2007 issue of Edible Portland will be available at these locations or by subscription starting Thursday, September 6.

Why pick up this issue? Inside you'll find expert advice on whipping up luscious fall soups from Castagna Restaurant's Kevin Gibson and Monique Siu. You'll learn why Northwest artisan cheese is tangy, creamy, downright delicious, and a little pricey (but well worth it). Or maybe you just want to find out what's in Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams' fridge - and backyard.

Get it while you can!

Posted by Deborah Kane at 9:07 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

By Food Stylist Carolyn Schirmacher and Photographer Edward Gowans

BUTTER-RUBBED ROAST TURKEY WITH AN APPLE CIDER GLAZE

From The Thanksgiving Table by Diane Morgan
Copyright 2007

Serves 12 to 20, depending on the size of the turkey

This turkey, cured with Apple Cider Brine and then basted with apple cider during the last hour of roasting, has a sweet and beautiful bronze-glazed finish—perfect for showcasing on a buffet table. I like to garnish the serving platter with lady apples and kumquats nestled in a bed of fresh herbs.

1 Apple-Cider Brined Turkey (12 to 16 lbs) Click here for recipe
1 large yellow onion (about 10 oz), quartered
4 cloves garlic
2 Golden Delicious apples, cored and quartered
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Turkey giblets (neck, tail, gizzard, and heart only)
1 cup homemade chicken stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups unsweetened apple cider or juice
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

Position an oven rack on the second-lowest level in the oven. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Have ready a large roasting pan with a roasting rack, preferably V-shaped, set in the pan.

Place the onion, garlic, apples, thyme, and sage inside the chest cavity of the turkey and truss the turkey. Use a pastry brush to brush the turkey with the butter. Season the turkey with salt and a few grinds of freshly ground pepper. Place the turkey, breast side down, on the roasting rack. Add the giblets, stock, and 1 cup of the apple cider to the pan. Roast for 30 minutes.

Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Baste the turkey with the pan juices, and roast an additional 30 minutes. Remove the turkey from the oven. Use oven mitts covered with aluminum foil, or wads of paper towels, and turn the turkey breast side up. Baste with the pan juices, and then return the turkey to the oven.

Continue to roast the turkey, basting occasionally. After it has roasted for 2 hours, begin basting every 30 minutes with the remaining 1 cup of apple cider. The turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer registers 165ºF when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh. When the internal temperature of the turkey is 125ºF, the turkey is about 1 hour away from being done. (Roasting times will vary depending on the size of the bird, its temperature when it went into the oven, whether or not it is stuffed, and your particular oven and the accuracy of the thermostat.)

When the turkey is done, transfer it to a carving board or serving platter, and cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil. Allow the turkey to rest for 15 to 30 minutes before carving to let the juices set.

While the turkey is resting make the gravy: Place the roasting pan over medium-high heat. Discard the giblets. Skim any fat from the surface, and bring the liquid in the pan to a simmer. Using a wooden spoon, scrape and loosen any brown bits sticking to the bottom and sides of the pan. Place the flour in a 1-cup measure, add a small amount of the simmering liquid, and blend until smooth. Slowly pour this into the simmering liquid and whisk until thickened, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small bowl or sauceboat to serve.

Carve the turkey. Serve, accompanied by the gravy.

Posted by Deborah Kane at 1:04 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

TOMATOES IN THE JAR
Written by Harriet Fasenfest
For Fall 2007

IF I COULD ACCOMPLISH one great thing in the world of food preservation, it would be to inspire the wide-scale practice of in-home tomato canning. I know this dream represents a selective calling but, simply stated, tomatoes and home canning are made for each other–both for the reasons I regularly offer on the merits of food preservation, and in consideration and respect of the tomato’s versatility and near-daunting abundance.

Even though local tomatoes make their first appearance at market in early July, it is only a nod to things to come. By August, tomatoes reach their destiny as the bountiful red lovelies of summer burst forth in full vigor and number. A week or two more, and tomatoes become second only to zucchini in the frenzy they produce.

Who has not faced the pleas of an overly ambitious backyard gardener who, in the deepest darkness of winter, misjudged the merits of 30 tomato plants? Who has not returned from the farm stand with more tomatoes than all the world’s bacon and lettuce could justify? Indeed, we have all peered at the priced-to-sell bushel of peak-season tomatoes and thought, if only for a second, “I should can those.”

Continue reading " Edible Preservation - Tomatoes in the Jar " »

Posted by Laura Ford at 7:21 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )