Plans for summer
via Plans for summer.
Posts by RKW@caramelizelife.com
Jul 4
And the winner for the Food with the Highest antioxidant Content is…. (drum roll please)
~Join us for our two-part series on the food with the highest antioxidant tour
Part 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pure and simple, dark chocolate and cacao nibs top the charts in antioxidant levels ~ beating out acai berries, kale and broccoli on the Oxygen Radial Absorbance Capacity scale (more on this scale below). Shocked? I sure was when I recently learned this bit of information. Un-shockingly, my children were already rehearsing their “eat your broccoli” retorts.
Can it really be true? How did I stumble upon this fantastic news?
It all started when my daughter exclaimed, “chocolate grows on trees!”
Tour brochures lined up on our vacation condo’s counter top: chocolate, coffee, rice, taro etc. Eenie, Meeny, Miney, Moe…
Well, Miney and Moe are actually kids named Hannah and Eva and I guess that makes my husband Eenie and by default I’m the Meeny.
The meany who wants to add an educational aspect to our Hawaiian vacation. I’m sure you can see where this is going…
Steelgrass
Taro is island specific but no votes there; of the ag tours, rice (unfortunately), had no tours on our free days so the choice was between coffee and chocolate. I love both but would rather have the kids hyped up on vitamin B-12 goodness than buzzing on caffeine. Thankfully, they agreed.
After a little research, and a recommendation from some friends, we decided to check out the STEELGRASS family chocolate tour, which had an added bonus that included a voice over studio on site with the likes of Ben Stiller and Jack Black…read: now husband is on board too.
I spoke with Tony Lydgate, Steelgrass family owner, to confirm our Chocolate from Branch to Bar reservation and he said tours start at 9 am. I’m thinking; who doesn’t like chocolate for breakfast? The kids sure thought this was an excellent idea and that maybe the sun had gotten to my senses, but no one mentioned anything about that.
The evening prior to our tour, the children slept soundly with visions of Hawaiian chocolate dancing in their heads. Up bright and early like I’ve only seen on christmas morning they were ready to go devour their breakfast! It’s healthy right? Local, sustainable, organic, without additives; all the checks were there for our foodie family list, so why can’t we eat chocolate all the time? All you parents out there get ready because those answers we tell our kids that it is a treat are now debunked and I hear doctors are recommending a daily dose of dark chocolate.
Studies have found that eating dark chocolate daily can reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes. What? I guess the trick is on me for wanting an educational tour, now our tour guides Michelle and Annabelle have my kids full attention and I’m taking notes on this brilliant way to educate all ages.
So the tour begins, by sharing that chocolate is made from cacao and yes, cacao grows on trees. But before we learn more about cacao our guides direct us through their grove of meticulously labeled tropical fruit trees, educating our tour group through our senses about each fruit.
No crazy Wonka tour here, all children and adults munched freely on sustainably grown, Tahitian Lime and sugar cane (known as KO) a sweet and tangy lime aid in yo’ mouth combination. Longan or Dragon Eye fruits that would be perfect in a bowl on Halloween, crimson red Mountain Apple and Lilikoi (passion fruit) and more, all without incident.
Soursop (Custard Apple)
Dragon Eye
Lilikoi (Passionfruit)
Blissfully meandering through the tropical trees, learning about Egyptian paper making from papyrus trees and smelling the bark of a cinnamon tree ~ the mission of our tours guides emerges.
This fantastic way of bringing in unassuming students, thinking only of chocolate bars to impart knowledge about sustainable agriculture, is like tossing zucchini into chocolate cake without the kids knowing.
A Truffula tree right? Nope it’s Papyrus
Cacao is a tree, and in order for us chocolate lovers to fully enjoy the purest foodie dark chocolate scrumptious delights, we need to understand that our delectable bar only needs four ingredients: cacao, sugar, vanilla and an emulsifier like soy lecithin or cacao butter. But from Branch to Bar so much more goes on behind the scenes.
Cacao trees with colorful pods
It’s a meeting of the minds at the Lydgate Farm with PhD’s, Oxford alumnae, musicians, artists and others that form a team who have come together to develop a sustainable agriculture program to teach others the same.
By sharing the behind the scenes chocolate creation process, Steelgrass shows the many stages of the production, and in so doing, they also show the excellence that comes from being a steward for sustainable agriculture on the Hawaiian Islands. We learned that it takes healthy pollinators not limited to bees for the fruit trees but it’s tiny gnats that are able to pollinate the petite cacao flowers. They use companion planting as a natural pest control and rely on collaboration and cooperation between neighboring cacao farmers. This is their hypothetical insurance policy, if disaster hits in the form of bugs, weather or other, then the diversification of plants, their various locations and different cacao farms, help ensure sustainability. This all falls under the umbrella of the Kauai Cacao Cooperative for creating a homegrown chocolate industry on the island.
It is incredible to think that all these aspects and hard work go into making that dark flavorful chocolate available and so good for us to enjoy. Once you understand you can’t forget and now that price of the chocolate bar makes sense. But it is perfect because, unlike milk chocolate where I could keep on eating more and more, I find that a small amount of dark chocolate hits the spot and I am satisfied…better for the environment, better for me..it’s a win~win.
Honey on bamboo sticks
Join us next week for part 2 of our chocolate tour adventure!
Aloha kakou,
Rachelle @ Caramelize Life
Love’s Apple Pie
A lovely poem written by a friend, a recipe for love and a must to be shared…enjoy!
Love’s Apple Pie
A dozen or so apples
in a wedding gown,
peeled, cored and pared down.
A cup and a half
of sugar in a tux.
Flour, fat and water,
don’t mix too much.
Chill the pastry and the
best man is done.
Bridesmaid…sprinkled cinnamon.
Into the church at 400 degrees,
ice cream waits to be
the justice of the peace.
This walk down the aisle
will take a little while.
When the aroma fills the room
then bride and groom
are now husband and wife
awaiting fork and knife.
A happy couple now golden brown.
Windowsill honeymoon
before we swallow them down.
~Simplyf Jones
What’s for Dinner?
Seasoned with garlic, onions, dill and olive oil.
Olive tapenade, sun-dried tomatoes and pine nut orzo pasta.
And fresh sautéed garden asparagus.
A quick and easy dish that is balanced and scrumptious too!
Wild caught salmon is the best, both in flavor and nutrients. Having worked in the Alaskan fishing industry in my 20’s I know it’s not an easy job and am thankful to be able to stock up on quality salmon each season.
Our mountains are not quite close enough to the ocean and inlets so we stock our freezer like squirrels in the fall with all things good. That’s when I place an order with our neighbor Fran, owner of Misty Fjord Seafood who I’m pretty sure is actually Super Woman. I end up guesstimating how many filets and pieces of fish we’ll need until the next season, and if we end up with extra we have it smoked so that we can enjoy it on hikes with a little goat cheese and good bread.
If you’ve got freezer space I highly recommend stocking up. Having it on hand makes dinner a snap!
Ingredients:
1 wild salmon fillet
3 pressed cloves of garlic
1 sliced onion
1 lemon (half sliced and half for juice)
a handful of asparagus spears
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
1 teaspoon dill weed
3 tablespoons of quark, sour cream, mayo or LEMONAISE®
3 cups of orzo
2 tablespoons olive tapenade
sun-dried tomatoes (a jar or 9-10 from your pantry chopped)
1/4 cup of pine nuts
1/2 parmesan cheese (optional)
dash of white wine for sauteing
~preheat the oven to 400f
~Defrost the fillet in its packaging (it is recommended to do so in the refrigerator but under running water has worked in a pinch. You can save the water and use it to feed your plants).
~Next prep the garlic, onions and dill sauce
Dill sauce:
~combine the quark, sour cream or mayo with 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice, dill weed and mix. Omit the lemon if using LEMONAISE®
~Once defrosted place the fillet on an aluminum foil covered baking sheet for easier clean up.
~Drizzle olive oil onto the fillet, sprinkle dill weed and add slices of the onion, garlic and lemon (squeeze the slices just a bit) and cover with foil.
~Bake for 15-20 minutes checking for done-ness = when the salmon flesh turns to a light pink.
Now, prepare the orzo while the salmon is baking.
Orzo is quick and a favorite with our kids. To make it an all around hit I add a little color and flavor with sun-dried tomatoes, keeping it quick and easy I use a pre-made olive tapenade that I have on hand for easy appetizers. If you have time and can make your own I am sure you’ll be rewarded. Another crowd pleaser and healthy addition, is to add pine nuts.
Next, prep the asparagus. This is fun because it is fresh right now and in the backyard, easily gathered by the kids and they love it.
walking with scissors
~Once the asparagus is washed, then saute it with a little white wine until tender and set the asparagus aside.
~By the time the orzo is finished, your salmon should be done as well.
~warm plates if you want
~mix the olive tapenade, sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts into the orzo and add the parmesan cheese.
~serve right away with a small dollop of dill sauce on top of the salmon.
serves 4-5
More salmon recipes here
Plan ahead
I love to make enough for leftovers. Extra orzo is great for lunches, add pesto to change it up or make it into a salad. It’s perfect hot or cold.
Leftover salmon is nice for morning egg scrambles, add chevre, chives and spinach for a healthy start.
Learn more
If you are interested as to why I choose wild salmon over farmed raised there are a number of reasons and it is important to know why and what you are putting into your body. I don’t think we can trust that someone else will be looking out for our best interests. I feel it is important to educate oneself and spread the word on sustainable practices that benefit all. If your curiosity is piqued, then please check out the following links and make your own choice.
Why salmon is worth the fight- video
David Dobs describes the life of a wild salmon and the confusion between wild and farmed in his 2008 article in Eating Well named The Wild Salmon Debate “He [the salmon] eats with an open mind—other fish, mollusks, and lots and lots of krill and other planktonic crustacea that have feasted on red algae. This diet turns his flesh pink and rich in omega-3 fatty acids.”
Now what’s for dessert?
Cheers!
Rachelle @ caramelizelife
~
FIND YOUR MARKET
Spring has sprung literally in the last week, here in the Methow Valley.
We’ve enjoyed the first couple of Farmers Markets held each Saturday 9am to noon. Our early spring heat wave has been kind to all the vendors and welcomed shoppers with a warm embrace.
For years I’ve been a patron to any farmers markets I can find either at home or abroad. The market can be a unique window into local communities health and its products. Market atmospheres are lively and festive. They celebrate our earth and what it can produce. Markets highlight and strengthen our ties to how and where our foods are processed and originate. Not everyone can live on a farm and learn from family traditions handed down each generation but most everyone can find a farmers market and take the opportunity to meet and learn from the farmers themselves.
Markets move with the seasons from the beginning seedlings in the early spring to the mounds of apples, spices, jams and jellies in the late summer harvest times. This seasonal reminder of what our local land provides is something that becomes forgotten in the long outer isles of the mega supermarkets. I know, I love bananas in my smoothies and pineapple too. I am not ready for a strict change but I do appreciate the fresh reminder to clean out the cob webs in my brain and love the fact that I can challenge myself to finding Saturday night’s dinner at the market.
So tempting…but no she didn’t…really.
If you would like a little help in the area of spring cleaning of the cerebral spider webs there’s an app for that! Ok, not really but if you are tech savvy and have an iPhone, sorry Blackberry and Android, you can download an App to find out what’s in season it’s called NRDC Eat Local.
Wendy Gorden of the Huffington post described the app perfectly in her blog New App Answers: What’s in Season Near You? it is worth the read.
I also adore the life lessons the market imparts to our children. They learn from example and experiencing the arts and local agricultural producers at a personal level is such a gift. Taken a little further and the market is inclusive allowing children to try their hand at their own entrepreneurial endeavors. Read my post life lessons a budding entrepreneur at the farmer’s market to learn more on this topic.
Each Market has it’s own structure and set of guidelines to help it run smoothly so check in with yours before you jump in feet first.
Market Dinner or Breakfast Challenge:
Simple Scramble with Chevre and Spring Greens
Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 Tbsp oil (your choice; coconut oil gives a nice change in flavor, olive or grape seed oil or butter)
1 Tbsp chevre we used organic chevre from sunny pine farms
1 cup spring greens (washed, torn or chopped and stems removed) For a fun you could forage and use Dandelion greens! (remember to properly identify the plant, make sure it hasn’t been sprayed and pick young fresh leaves. Their bitterness will mellow and blend nicely with the eggs).
1 Tbsp chopped fresh seasonal herbs (your choice; chives, rosemary, thyme, parsley, cilantro etc)
salt and pepper to taste
A slice from a fresh baguette or rosemary bread to toast.
Each market is unique to its region and what it can offer, when in France, I love to add olives to this scramble or capers.
Directions:
~Wash, tear or chop spring greens and herbs and set aside
~Pre-warm two serving bowels
~Slice bread and put in the toaster
~Crack eggs in a medium-sized bowel and beat with a fork until mixed. Then add half of your seasonal herbs, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
~In a preheated nonstick or cast iron saute’ pan add oil, and then the egg and herb mix. Scramble the eggs turning from the outside in. Right before eggs are fully cooked add the chevre and remove from heat. Then, divide into equal portions (or as much as you are hungry for)and place in your warmed bowel.
~Next, add a tablespoon or so of water and wilt greens in your saute’ pan turning constantly until wilted and then pour over chevre and egg scramble.
~Sprinkle with the second half of the fresh herbs.
~Add salt and pepper to taste
~ enjoy!
Find your Farmers Market!
Here in the Methow we are lucky to have a few:
Methow Valley Farmers Market Saturdays 9am to noon, April through October
Winthrop Market Sundays 10am to 2pm, Memorial Day to Labor Day
Mazama Market Wednesday afternoons, during the growing season
The folks at Local Harvest. Org make it easy to do just that. Click on the link and enter your zip code or state and they will point you in the right direction. It is a great tool to use especially if you are traveling.
Here are a few more links to help you find a market near you:
The USDA Farmers Markets, Food and Wine articles on the Worlds Best Food Markets, Open Air’s market list, and the Huffington Post Photo’s of the worlds largest farmers markets.
See you at the Market!
Rachelle @ Caramelizelife
Finding the time for more fun
Are you always looking to streamline those processes that seem to take more time than they should? I remember an old college housemate describing his Dad’s ways of being efficient; he would cut, chop and eat over the sink so that his time and energy were consolidated. I aspire to that level of efficiency. However, with a family, replete with dogs, cats, a bunny and the occasional chicken or two I missed the mark on simplification in the house. Instead, I focus on making sure everything has its own place…and do my best to get them back there.
For example, I recently realized that our recycling area in the garage had become disorganized. How had I not noticed that before? Glass was mixed, different types of cardboard, colored and clear plastics all intermingled…which all adds up to a headache at the recycling center.
So naturally I decided to organize and streamline our recycling approach. I made sure I had a brochure from the center, and posted it where we have our recycle bins eliminating those frustrating times when we’ve arrived, car or truck full of recycling only to realize they are closed and we will need to return tomorrow and uh… drive around with our recycling for the next 12 hours.
Then I took photos of each bin at the Methow Recycles Center, printed them up, and attached them to corresponding bins at home, thus making it super simple for both separating at home and dumping at the recycling center.
Now those wasted trips are a thing of the past, and our time separating the recycling is put to better use… hiking, biking, cooking, baking, kids, so many better things to be doing with that extra half hour!
But wait the fun’s not over! Next I learned that I could increase my efficiency even further by giving the guys at Recycling Roundup a call skipping the loading/unloading as well as the 40 minute round trip to the recycling center altogether. I think I just saved myself a wee bit more time… now I’m off for a bike ride!
happy organizing from R @ caramelize life
Happy organizing
Which came first?
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The age old question has baffled and tormented philosophers and lay folk like myself when it comes to mind. It is a great question to ponder over your breakfast quiche in the morning, but inevitability I soon feel like a gerbil on a spinning wheel or lost in a maze of repeating fractals and phew! I’ve finished breakfast and on to other thoughts.
Or, I could answer the question…neither came first! I say it was the Bunny that came first. That’s right the sweet little guy who comes around each Spring, filling baskets with rainbow colored eggs. No chicken lays rainbow eggs so it’s got to be the Bunny. Ok, a few lay blue, green, brown, and white eggs but I’ve seen none with swirls…and how about the fancy glittery ones?
A few years ago I had the task of explaining to my 5 year old why the Easter Bunny brought baskets full of colored eggs…why isn’t it an Easter Chicken? I think we’ve got a budding philosopher in the family. How do you answer such an inquiry? Quick on my feet, I said nothing. Instead I started placing decorated eggs in the chicken coop. Ok, now the gig is up and thankfully she doesn’t have a Facebook account or read this blog just yet because she is in that space of wanting to believe but really smart enough to know that neither bring those beautiful eggs and chocolate. Come to think of it, I may still be in that stage as well.
Yes, that’s right: it is all complete nonsense. If you want fresh eggs you’ll need a baby chick and if you don’t already have eggs that are ready to hatch, you have two options; stop by your local feed store because right about now they should be stocking sweet little peeps to fill your coop. Or, you go BIG (25 or more chicks) and order a flock from a reputable hatchery. The next step is to wait. The post office will call which usually wakes me from some wonderful dream like Spring break trips to Hawaiian beaches, of which I am not on if I am receiving that call. They will most likely be yelling into the phone over the cacophonous peeping in the background. This call first thing is to let you know your one day old chicks have arrived and would you PLEASE come down as soon as possible to pick them up. A flock in a box as we call it. I wonder if this only happens in America?
The latter is the path my daughters chose when they ventured into their aptly named egg business, Sister Chicks…more on their adventures at a later date. If you do go BIG then be prepared for lots of eggs = the need for recipes that use all those eggs, like your stack of summer zucchini recipes. The ones you needed when you found someone had secretly filled your mail box with orphan zuchs…again, a post for another time. Returning back to scrumptious recipes that include eggs, here’s a favorite of ours at Caramelize Life.
Savory Mushroom Quiche
If you have time to make your own, I love Blue Bird Grain Farms whole-grain-crust recipe the best and works great to make extra, stored in the freezer for the days you don’t. However, if today is that such day where you find yourself short on time, many grocery stores carry pre-made pie crusts, just be sure to choose one without sugar.
Crust ingredients (using Blue Bird Grain Farms recipe):
1/2 cup Bluebird whole grain soft white or hard red flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chilled butter
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
Quiche ingredients:
2 cups grated Swiss Cheese (Gruyère is my favorite and we usually have some in the freezer leftover from fondue nights otherwise any Swiss cheese will work).
4-6 organic free range eggs
1 large yellow onion minced
1/2 lb. crimini mushrooms sliced
3 Tbsp organic butter
7.5 oz Crème Fraîche ( I use the Bellwether Farms but if you want to make your own you can add a bit of buttermilk to cream).
salt and pepper to taste
a pinch of grated nutmeg
1/2 cup organic milk or half and half.
~ Preheat oven to 375f, 190c, gas mark 5
~ Saute’ minced onion and sliced mushrooms in butter with salt and pepper over medium heat until onions are golden and set aside.
~Cover the bottom of the crust with 1 1/2 cups cheese. Reserve the rest for the filling.
~Assemble the filling; beat eggs with Crème Fraîche, milk, and salt, pepper and nutmeg .
~Pour mushroom and onions over cheese layer and then add liquid filling mixing in the last bit of cheese with a little for the top.
~ Bake for 40 minutes, test with a knife in the for solid center.
Yields; One nine-inch pie or 4-6 servings.
Can be doubled easily.
Freezes fine, just thaw in the refrigerator and reheat.
Great for lunch boxes, breakfast, appetizers or a main dish.
*On many occasions we mix it up and add steamed broccoli, sautéed spinach, salmon, bacon, tomatoes, soft cheeses such as Camembert or anything else that we have in the refrigerator that sounds good.
Happy pondering!
Rachelle @ caramelizelife.
Mar 20
Starting Seedlings & Garden Planning
After months of cold and dark, we at Caramelize Life love to look forward to spring by starting plants from seed indoors. Snow covers the frozen earth and the bountiful green garden of last year is hard to remember. It is time, in the deep dark of February and March, that planning spring starts and a garden layout is particularly inspiring especially here in Northern Mountains of Washington.
For timing your indoor starts, February/March is the perfect time to take stock of your seeds. If you have gathered seed from last year’s garden, wonderful, and if not, making your mail orders or stopping by your local supplier now fits the timing for spring planting.
In the Methow you can find our favorite seeds sold at http://gloverstreetmarket.com/ They carry seeds from our very own Twisp Ancestree Herbals and Uprising Organics that sources seeds sown by Pacific Northwest growers including Kelleigh Mc Millian’s Sowing Seeds Farm from Twisp River.
Begin by taking stock of what and how much your family will eat throughout the year. For instance, if you use a lot of onions in your meals, plan a plot that is big enough for cold storage (or freezing) that lasts the year (for our families that is a plot 8×12’ at least). We use more and more tomatoes every year (for fresh bites for sure, but also for canning, salsas, frozen sauces, you name it) so our tomato plots continue to expand.
We seed cayenne peppers, jalapeño peppers, several tomato varieties and tomatillos. Each of these plants comes up easily, but you will need a south facing window and possibly an additional light close to your plants (our solution is an old ski pole with florescent light hanging from adjustable ropes to change position as the seedlings grow.) Watering with mist seems to work best for all these heat loving plants, and their moisture needs are minimal.
Keep a close eye on your seedlings as they come up. Tomatoes in particular can become gangly, but it’s possibly to gently push them down or build up soil around them. Little cotyledons (the non-productive leaves) will help anchor the plants, and we like to coax them towards the soil.
Keep in mind when your growing season begins to time your planting of seeds. For us in the Methow Valley, we count on possible frost until the end of May. This is the soonest the tomatoes can go in the ground. Most, however, have a much longer growing season.
If you are curious about your planting season and want to know what zone you live in there are several sites that can help you determine what will grow best in your area and when to plant. plantmaps.com has an interactive map for Wa, Or, and Id. and the Sunset online site has an in depth look at the PNW as well as links to everyplace else.
There is nothing like green little baby plants to lift spirits towards spring. Love them gently!
Home Away From Home
Caramelize Life 