Roasted Tomato Soup
If you live in the Northwest you know the summer took it’s time getting here. With the cooler than normal weather and my own tomato-planting tardiness I wasn’t expecting great things from my plants this year. The plants grew like crazy and a lot of tomatoes set but with the cool weather I assumed most would not ripen. And then came those two weeks of heat around Labor Day. Suddenly everything is ripening at once! I’ve given up trying to keep up with my Sweet 100s – many are splitting before I can pick them – but I’m working diligently to keep up with the others.
Mobile Food Rodeo Recap
I was really hoping to start this post with “They’ve finally figured it out!” or something along those lines. Unfortunately, I can’t yet do that, although there is a glimmer of hope.
There were several ticket options for the Mobile Food Rodeo – this was one of the things that was handled well.
- Pre-paid single general admission tickets were $7 (plus $1.50 handling fee). There were a couple of benefits with the pre-paid ticket: the price was $3 less than pay-at-the-gate and a $3 tasting ticket to use at any of the trucks was included
- They also offered a VIP ticket which included a one hour early entry; two $3 tasting tickets; and with the limited number of tickets sold, easy access to the trucks
- Pay-at-the-gate tickets were $10 and did not include the $3 tasting ticket
- There were also discounts if you bought two tickets
By noon on Saturday, the general admission start time, there was a line of several hundred people waiting to enter, while the VIPs and judges wandered around inside, eating their way around the venue. Noon came and went, as did 12:30 pm. None of the general admission ticket holders were let in. Time passed. I didn’t hear any sort of announcement to the crowd, although perhaps I missed it. Finally at some point close to 1:30 pm they started letting people in. Turns out, as I read from a Facebook or Twitter post several hours later, that the event owners hadn’t quite gotten everything squared away with the city. This should have been at the top of their list of “Things to Do” and should have been double and triple-checked. I think they were lucky there was only a 90-minute delay and not a total shut down.
A Couple of Food Events
Fall is trying to gain a foothold here in Seattle but there’s still time to enjoy the last lingering days of summer! Show Mother Nature you’re not about to let her rob of you of this last summer weekend by enjoying one (or both!) of these festivals. Both are Saturday afternoon only.
Fisherman’s Fall Festival
Saturday September 16th, 11 – 6
This event benefits the Seattle Fisherman’s Memorial. You’ll find a salmon barbecue, wine and beer garden, several contests, lots of kid activities and more. This event is JP Patches last public appearance before retirement. No entrance fee. More details here.
Fishermen’s Terminal
1900 W. Nickerson Street
Seattle, WA 98119
Mobile Food Rodeo
Saturday September 16th, 12 – 7
Seattle’s food truck scene has grown and that is expected to continue with the new law allowing them more freedom when choosing a location to set-up. But you’ll never find so many in one place! Twenty food trucks, including a few from Portland, will serve their specialties all afternoon. Each truck will offer a small $3 tasting option in addition to regular menu items.
There is a $10 entrance fee (there were some discounts available for early ticket purchases), with $2 of the fee benefiting Solid Ground. There will be ATMs on site and some trucks accept credit cards but I recommend coming with cash in hand.
Before you go it might be helpful to read the “tips” blog post. More details here.
Mobile Food Rodeo
(behind Whole Foods Market)
1600 West Armory Way
Seattle, WA 98119
Peach Jam
This has been a bit of an odd summer for me. Not only has it been much cooler than average, but I also had foot surgery nearly 4 weeks ago. While I’ll be happy with the result, my mobility the last few weeks has been limited. When I’ve gone out I’ve had to stay away from crowds to make sure no one accidentally steps on me. As a result I’ve missed out on many of my normal summer activities.
Last week I decided to sneak out to one of our newer Farmers’ Markets at Interbay. My tomatoes have been very slow to ripen – of course I planted them very late – and I’ve craved ripened-on-the-vine tomatoes. I knew Billy had a booth at Interbay and with the market’s location I hoped I could park close and get in and out before the after work crowd arrived.
My plan worked! Not only did I score some gorgeous tomatoes but there were also peaches. The box of seconds, while not as pretty as the best peaches were perfect for jam.
I’ve been making jam as long as I can remember, as it’s a family tradition. We always used pectin to help the jam thicken and set. I have no issue with that method but for the last few years I’ve turned to making jam with only fruit, sugar and lemon juice. I like the idea of using this simple process, although it does take a little practice to ensure you cook the jam down enough so when it sets it will be thick. The nice part is that you don’t really hurt anything if you don’t quite get it right, your jam is just a little runny but still edible. Or, if it’s really runny, you can use it for pancake syrup or a sauce!
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Make Your Own: Sparkling Lemonade
Please note: The iSi Twist’n Sparkle has been recalled due to safety issues. Please check this website for more information.
One of the reasons I love social media is that I am exposed to information that I might not otherwise be aware of. Of course the flip side of that is that if I’m not careful I can find my time sucked away as I follow all the rabbit trails that my friends/contacts share! So I’m very judicious in my online wanderings and only spend time where I have true interest.
Recently, one of my Facebook contacts posted information about a project they were sponsoring on a site called earthbongo. This is a simple community-based site that seeks to improve our world one small project at a time. Members post projects they are working on with steps or information for others to join in. There’s nothing big or glamorous, it’s just a community of people doing little things. This completely supports my view that if we all did a few small things the impact would be much greater than we imagine. So I joined earthbongo and also signed up to complete the project that caught my attention in the first place.
The project is simple. Basically cut down/quit using bottles and reuse more of what you have by making your own bottled water. I already limit my use of flat bottled water to very specific situations. However, I use bottled sparkling water – plain and flavored – at parties as a festive alternative to cocktails or wine, or for myself as an alternative to soft drinks.
I’d been thinking about buying a soda maker for some time but was having a hard time with how space-consuming they all are. Recently I noticed a new entry into the field, the Isi Twist and Sparkle. Two things attracted me to this option: you don’t need a big machine to add the sparkle to the water, it’s all done in one sleek unit; I’ve had an Isi Whipped Cream Dispenser (a gift from great friends!) for some time and love it. So this earthbongo project gave me the kick-in-the-butt I needed to purchase one and get going!
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Watermelon Salad
Happy 4th of July!
Three-day holiday weekends lend themselves to parties and picnics and this one is no different. Friends of mine had planned an afternoon picnic at a local park yesterday. But the weather cooled and the picnic morphed into an evening potluck barbecue – and a perfect evening it was. Our small group gathered at the host’s house enjoying cocktails, shrimp cocktail, little cheese crackers, similiar to these, and hummus and pita on the patio. We lingered there soaking in every last minute of sun until it dipped behind the trees. Then it was into the house for the rest of the feast.
The host grilled delicious salmon and others contributed baked beans, potato salad, marinated cucumbers and onions. My offering was a watermelon salad. This salad, or at least some version of it, was all the rage several years ago. I remember attending one party where three people brought it! Luckily I was not one of them. But, as many things do, over the years its popularity has faded as newer recipes take center stage.
If you read my previous post you’ll know that watermelon is pretty much the epitome of summer for me. And this salad with its contrasting flavors is a great way to introduce watermelon into a meal. The sweet watermelon, salty cheese, spicy onions and soothing mint play off each other so that each bite is a melange of flavor. With the savory flavors as well as the sweet the salad will work with nearly any sort of main course.
Watermelon Cocktail
I have decided that I need to quit worrying about this summer that isn’t and instead embrace the days that show any sort of summertime characteristic. Today was one of those days. I woke to clear skies and warm (enough) temperatures to keep the doors and windows open most of the day. Of course I’m lucky since the back of my house faces south and so even with a little sunshine it’s easy to imagine it’s warmer than it really is.
With the long days we have at this time of year, I like to take as much advantage of the sun on the deck as I possibly can. As I finished up my work for the day I remembered that I had a couple of small watermelons in the refrigerator. What screams summer more than watermelon? Not much really. So I set about making a refreshing beverage to enjoy out on that sunny deck.
I’ve made watermelon-based cocktails in the past and have a few favorites like this Watermelon and Rose Water Cocktail, but today I decided to just wing it and pull together something simple and basic.
I started by making watermelon juice or puree. I cut a small (personal-size, like a Dulcinea) watermelon into quarters. Besides being small, these watermelons have the advantage of being seedless. Holding 1/4 over my blender container I scooped the flesh into it. I used this method to capture the liquid from the melon. If you choose to use a cutting board try to capture as much liquid as possible and add it to the blender along with the pulp. I put two quarters in my blender at a time and then blended the pulp on high until it was quite watery and no solid pieces remained.
Outstanding in the Field in the Northwest
Over the past several years I’ve gone to several Outstanding in the Field dinners. I’ve written about some of them but have thoroughly enjoyed all of them. A couple of weeks ago some friends and I attended an event on the California coast – magical! I’ll write about that dinner soon. It’s taking me forever to get through my photos but the photos in this post are from that dinner. In the meantime, the tour has made it here to the Northwest and from July 2 – July 13 there are several dinners in the Portland, Seattle and Whistler, BC areas. And then they start working their way across the rest of the country.
I checked this morning and not all the events have sold out. If you’ve yet to experience one of these dinners I encourage you to make this the year that changes. If you’ve been in the past, you know what a treat they are and hopefully you’ll be attending another! Most of us have very little chance to meet the farmers, ranchers and fishers who provide our food. Access to some of the top chefs in the area is also part of the deal. Plus, you get to meet lots of others who have an interest in food and that’s always a good thing!
So check their schedule and get out to the farm!
Mini Mac & Cheese
I first made this recipe a couple of years ago for my annual holiday party. I’m always looking for tasty, small bites for that party. And I like having a few vegetarian options for those who prefer not to eat meat. These seemed like the perfect solution.
They were good but I thought they could be improved in a few ways. Since then I’ve made them a few times, changing and tweaking the recipe each time. This last weekend I made the recipe again and I really liked this version! You can find the original version here. But I think mine is much better!
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Rhubarb Upside Down Cake
I love rhubarb and every spring look for new ways to use it. Rhubarb pies, tarts and crisps are a standard part of my repertoire. I use simple rhubarb sauce in many ways. I’m more often seeing rhubarb appear on restaurant menus as a foil for savory or rich dishes, often paired with braised meats, for instance. Still, when you have a lot of it, it seems best to incorporate into a dessert of some sort. When the New York Times ran a recipe for Rhubarb Upside Down Cake it immediately became one of my “to try” recipes.
I made the cake this weekend and while it was good, it was not as good as I hoped. I’ve tried to put my finger on exactly what wasn’t quite right and it seems to boil down to personal preference. The rhubarb doesn’t take enough of a lead role in this dessert. It’s more of a contrast to the cake instead of the primary taste. So there’s nothing wrong with this recipe but I probably wouldn’t make it again. I still prefer my old standard, Grace’s Rhubarb Cake.
Culinary Fool 