Nothing says "WELCOME SPRING" like a truckload of compost topped with horse poop.

We spent the afternoon prepping our beds and planning what we want to grow this season. With the addition of 3 new beds that Justin built for our anniversary, we've got more room for delicious goodies...

Things we will grow:
yellow German potatoes
eggplant
"cascadia"snap peas
various salad greens
"Olympia" spinach
broccoli
Russian kale
Nash's kale
collards
Scarlet Nantes carrots
radishes
bull's blood beets
rhubarb chard
garlic
sunchokes
sungold tomatoes
roma tomatoes
summer squash
winter squash
pole beans
hot peppers
basil

Things we veto-ed after last year (which we will happily buy from local farmers):
onions
bell peppers
too many tomatoes
rutabagas
turnips
celery
parsnips

Wish List:
chickens

NAANsense.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love bread. I love it as a vehicle for spreads and dip. I love it alone torn in hunks from a warm loaf. I love it toasted. I love bread.

There are all sorts of "breads" out there, but I have to say, beyond a crusty loaf of sourdough or a pillowy, shining braided challah, naan it one of my favorites. Naan is a traditional Indian leavened flatbread that has been oven-grilled. It is light and full of air pockets, crispy on the outside, and great for sopping up hot spicy Indian curries or chilled yogurt sauce.

When my mom was visited a few weeks ago, Justin prepared an Indian feast of roasted eggplant, creamed spinach, ginger-tamarind glazed salmon, and saffron rice. I volunteered to make the naan--it was the least I could do, really. Turns out, it is quite straight forward--even without a traditional tandoori oven.

Naan
adapted from Neelam Batra's 1000 Indian Recipes

2 tsp. yeast
1 tsp. sugar
14 c. warm water
1/2 c. plain yogurt
2 TBS. vegetable oil
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. all-purpose flour (in a bowl for dusting)
1/4 c. melted butter

1. For dough, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water and set aside for five minutes. Mix in yogurt and oil.
2. Place flour and salt in a food processor and mix. Gradually add yeast mixtures with processor running--run until flour gathers into a ball. Transfer the ball to a large bowl, cover with plastic, and place in a warm place until it doubles in size (3-4 hours).
3. Divide dough into 10-12 balls and keep covered to prevent the dough from drying out. With each ball, place in the bowl of flour and coat it well with the dry flour. Transfer to a cutting board and flatten the ball with the palm of your hand, then roll it into a 7-8in. long triangle.
4. Place on large baking trays and lightly brush the top of each naan piece with water.
5. Preheat the oven to broil. Place the tray 4-5 in. below the heating element and broil until small brown spots appear on the top (1 minute). Carefully flip each piece and cook until the other side is golden.
5. Transfer naan to a platter and baste lightly with melted butter.

Serve warm with plenty of things to dip it in!

A MoMumental celebration.

I have been terrible about updating lately, but I have an excuse...
Betty was in town! Yes, that's right, my mom journeyed from the great state of Illinois to the (also great) state of Washington for an entire week. What's the occasion you might ask?

Well, a certain someone (ahem, my mom) came to celebrate her 60th trip around the sun. That is something to be celebrated. This woman continues to teach and inspire me with her optimism, appreciation for the little things, sense of humor, and selflessness.

It was quite rainy here--as is the way of March in Washington--but we made the most of it. We went for a hike or two when the sun shone; we explored the antique stores of Port Angeles; we did 2.5 jigsaw puzzles (complements of GoodWill); we drank coffee, coffee, and more coffee; we played bingo (and she won $54); we relaxed; and, of course we ate delicious food.

If my mom has a favorite beverage, its coffee. If she has a favorite food, its salmon. Well, she came to the right place. We drank coffee at two of my favorite cafes, Renaissance and Blackbird. We enjoyed wild King salmon from the farmer's market for dinner two separate evenings (simply baked with roasted potatoes and grandly spiced with an indian-themed meal that Justin prepared). Of course, Betty also enjoyed alder-planked salmon for her birthday dinner at The Alderwood Bistro. We ate, we drank, we were merry.

It was so special to get to celebrate this occasion with my mom. The only thing missing was my dad, who was holding down the fort in Illinois.

From Red Rocks to rock salt....

Justin and I have returned from a week in Sedona, AZ with his, lovely and always entertaining, parents. The vivid colors and people of that place have made quite an impression on both of us...we returned to snow and ice in the great state of Washington. Its good to be home, but where's that early spring?

I had a dinner guest....

Meet Marty:

Over the next year, I’ll be traveling around the country to tell the stories of people who make meals, who lovingly tend bees, gardens and organic farms, and who nurture relationships at the dinner table. Invite me to dinner and I’ll write about you or just sit back and read about the crazy patchwork of characters who feed me.

She visited Port Angeles last night--after a 14 hr travel day that began in New York at 4am. I fed her stinging nettles...
Check out her take on the meal auntmarty.com

Revisiting flavors...

In the height of fall, apples abound. Around here, every weekend means someone in the area is breaking out their press for a cider-making party. More and more varieties pass through my lips and ears that I ever imagined could exist; there are heirloom varieties and newly grafted ones with names like Gravenstein, Pink Pearl, Ashmeads kernal, King, Melrose, Pink Lady, Porter Perfection...oh my. Applesauce, apple pie, apple crisp, apple cobbler, apple butter, parsnip-apple soup, baked apples, apple fritters...and, yet to be imagined culinary creations, come from kitchens and end up on tables. We all go crazy for apples, because they are a symbol of Fall.

Eventually, fall becomes winter. Apples lose a little of their new appeal and, some of the varieties lose their crisp crunch too. So, apples move from center stage (or plate). They are still delicious, but a little less exciting--that's all.

Well, this weekend our "Washington Family" gathered on the Pacific Coast to play and eat and revisit. There was a time when we all lived in Seattle and saw one another nearly every day. I can't say that this group ever loses their crisp crunch or appeal--when we do get the chance to gather together, they only get richer and more delicious.

...but I was talking about apples. Can't a girl break for a metaphor?
Anyway, a big part of gathering with the WF is cooking and eating together. So, I was quite delighted to find two huge boxes of crispy apples from Cloudview Farm in eastern WA had made it to our little cabin in La Push (compliments of Erin and Neil)! I haven't seen such a bounty of tasty apples in months.

Of course, the first few went directly from box to mouth. *Crunch crunch* Soon after, I was inspired to revisit the flavors of fall. Behold the Apple Kuchen! Its somewhere between an apple pizza and apple coffee cake...its somewhere between tasty and delicious. Enjoy!

To my Washington Family, thanks for always reminding me to savor the flavor...you make my belly ache from hearty laughter and heartier meals. I love you.

Apple Kuchen
adapted from Local Vegetarian Cooking by Debra Daniels-Zeller

Crust:
1.25 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. turbinado sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
3 TBS butter
2 beaten eggs
1/3 c. milk
1 tsp vanilla

Topping:
3 medium apples, sliced
2 TBS lemon juice
2 TBS maple syrup
1/2 TBS arrowroot (or corn starch)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Oil a 14 in pizza pan. Mix topping ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
2. Combine dry ingredients for crust and mix with a fork. Cut butter into cubes an mix into dry ingredients by rubbing in between your fingers (way better than a pastry blender!).
3. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, milk, and vanilla. Mix wet and dry together--the batter will be somewhere between cake batter and brownie mix.
4. Spread batter onto the pan with a spatula to within an inch of the edge. Place apples on crust one at a time, starting from the center and working your way out in a spiral. Pretty, no? Drizzle remaining juice over the apples.
5. Bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar for a little extra something, something! Enjoy with a warm drink!

Hole-y deliciousness.

Bagels! I love bagels. First of all, they are bread--I love bread. Second, they are a great vehicle for toppings--butter, almond butter, cream cheese, jam, pesto, and more. Third (and most importantly), they have holes! Although the holes exist to help bagels cook evenly, I think they add a certain flair to what would, otherwise, be a breakfast bun.

Recently, I came across a simple recipe for cinnamon raisin bagels in an old copy of Mother Earth News. The whole process took about 30 minutes (excluding dough-resting and baking times). They weren't the prettiest, but they made up for it in personality--by which, I mean flavor, texture, and general deliciousness!

Cinnamon Raisin Whole Wheat Bagels
adapted from Mother Earth News
makes about 10

2.75 c. whole wheat flour *
1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour *
1 pkt. of yeast
1/2 TBS. salt
1/8 c. vital wheat-gluten
2 c. luke warm water

2 TBS. sugar
1.5 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 c. raisins

For the boiling pot:
6 quarts of water
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda

1. Sift or mix together dry ingredients (flour, yeast, salt, gluten). Slowly incorporate warm water into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon (without kneading). When everything is uniformly moist, cover loosely with plastic and let it rise for about 2 hrs at room temperature.
2. With hands and rolling pin, flatten dough to a thickness of 1/4 in. Sprinkle the sugar, cinnamon, and raisins onto the dough and roll it up--jelly-roll style. Then, Shape the roll into a ball.
3. Cut of a small piece (about the size of a small peach), dust it with a bit of flour, and shape it into a ball. Repeat this step with the rest of the dough. Let rest for 20 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare boiling pot by bringing water to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and add sugar and baking soda.
6. Punch your thumb through the dough balls to form the HOLE! Stretch it open so the hole's diameter is 3 times the width of the bagel wall. Drop bagels into simmering pot, one by one. Don't crowd 'em! Once they float to the top, let them simmer 2 minutes. Flip them over and let them simmer for another 30 seconds. Remove boiled bagels from water with a slotted spoon and place on a floured kitchen towel to to absorb some of the excess water.
7. Place bagels on a floured cookie sheet and pop it into the oven. Before closing the oven door, pour 1 cup of water into the broiling pan--carefully and quickly. Let them bake for about 20 minutes or until browned and firm.
8. Enjoy warm with your favorite topping!

*I used a combination of Nash's freshly ground hard red wheat, some all-purpose flour (wheat with the bran sorted out) from the Fairhaven Cooperative Mill and that magical vital wheat-gluten that has helped my bread move beyond a brick's consistency.