Hanging out at the Dairy

Hanging out at the Dairy
Darci(far left) & the Wrights at the Creamery

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Farm>Market>Table


Poulsbo's Saturday Farmers Market
For many of us who don't live on a farm but love fantastically fresh, often natural and organic foods, the Farmer's Markets are such luscious connection from the purveyor's farm to our table(s)!

Their products are grown with pride and knowledge of peak seasonal flavors.  Here are a few of the products purchased over the last few Saturdays at my local Poulsbo Farmers Market and how I prepared them at my home.

Blackberries from Mt. Vernon
My son and I made homemade blackberry jam together for the first time with these aubergene jewels!  We had lots of fun with this process in spite of a minor burn (and subsequent first aid/drama) when the sugary concoction spit on my son's hand when he was stirring the final product. Hubby was pleased I finally used my Weck canning jars I bought years ago at Sur La Table. Son and I loved sharing the darling jars of purple goodness with neighbors, family and his teacher at school!

Blackberry jam in my Weck jars straight from the canner

Fall is full of richer more dense flavors in the Pacific Northwest like Chanterelle mushrooms. Cooking with them brings me back to my days as Sous Chef at Cafe Juanita in Kirkland, WA. Then owner and founder Peter Dow, would use them in Pollo Chanterelle or Chanterelle Risotto. 

Chopped Chanterelles w/butter, shallots and nutmeg

Jasmine rice with fresh Chanterelle mushrooms
For this meal, I used fluffy Jasmine Rice with chopped Chanterelles, sautéed in butter, shallots, nutmeg and sea salt. The rice is steamed in Chicken Stock for additional depth. This is a right of Fall passage dish in my life and I use it as a side dish most frequently.  Feel free to add chicken or pork to make it a more substantial entree for a carnivore...like my boys.

Sourdough bread from Borrowed Kitchen Bakery
This one's really decedent for our family as we don't choose to do white bread often but every blue moon, I weaken and buy some. For the record, no one at my house complains. We devour our favorite sourdough bread, this one from Borrowed Kitchen Bakery in nearby Kingston, WA. It was dense, moist, crusty and full of that tangy nature of sourdough that we adore.

Sourdough toast, poached eggs with Sriracha hot sauce and bacon for Saturday Brunch
At the our house, we prefer a simple,yet hearty breakfast/brunch on the weekends and this fresh sourdough toast was a decedent treat to our usual whole wheat faire.

For dinner this weekend, chopped fresh, local leeks were sprinkled on some natural, boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a baking dish. Drizzled the poultry with some of my favorite Gerard's Italian dressing, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper and placed into a preheated oven for 40 minutes on 375 degrees on bake. 

Fresh organic leeks
The leek studded chicken thighs were chopped, and added to a drained pot of whole wheat penne pasta and tossed with an Alfredo sauce.  The local arugula salad was a simple Dijon balsamic vinaigrette made by my son and lightly hand-tossed.

Chicken and leek alfredo with fresh arugula salad

For Sunday afternoon Seahawks Game snack, it was Jose's Famous Salsa and fresh tortilla chips! 

Jose's Famous Salsa and tortilla chips

Jose Garcia and his fantastic wife Angie, their kids and some staff have built their Sequim-based salsa making company selling at local farmers markets in Sequim, Port Angeles, Poulsbo and others. They're expanding to groceries and also offer luscious guacamole, frozen homemade tamales, ready-to-eath tamales, and  ceviche at their Farm stands. They also opened  Jose's Taqueria in Sequim which is also simple, lovely, flavorful and authentic Mexican cuisine.  Look for them and buy a quart of salsa and a dozen frozen tamales...I did! So far it's Sunday night and we still have some left-barely.

The last of the seasons tomatoes
This kaleidoscope of tomatoes are such a treat this late in the season! So many ways to enjoy them and often it's the most simple for us; thickly sliced, drizzled with Balsamic vinegar and freshly ground sea salt and cracked pepper. Another option, we sliced them and made Sourdough sandwiches with roasted chicken, mayo and more Sriracha sauce. We like to "bring on the heat" at our house!


A rainbow of Fall pumpkins, gourds and squashes

These pumpkins couldn't be passed up, it was simply a choice of which size, shape and color...

My front porch with my seasonal gourds and pumpkins
In time for Halloween and still good through Thanksgiving, the entry of my house showcasing my treasures from the Poulsbo Farmers Market.  

Hoofing it to our Poulsbo's Farmers Market
Each Saturday brings inspiration from meeting those who proudly grow, make, bake, weave, cook, carve, butcher and sell their goods for use in our lives.
Visit your local Farmer's Markets this week and what treats you can bring from the farm to your table!

Chow for now my friends!

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

A little "slice" of heaven in Poulsbo

Sluy's family owned bakery opened in the late 1960's

Some shops are a "must-stop" in a town and I've found that in our new-to-us town, that shop is Sluys Bakery!

One of the "must-stops" in Poulsbo

I even remember visiting there as a very young child in the early 1970's, salivating at all the choices of baked goods they offer daily.

The street sign to mark the entrance-in case your nose missed it!

It's still the same today, many freshly baked morsels, loaves, cakes and pies to select from on a daily basis.

The shelves of freshly baked bread right through the front door

The bakery is smack in the middle of Historic downtown Poulsbo, such a fun treat to grab, walk down and ponder our after school or weekend morning treats.

Cookies of all shapes, sizes and flavors

Bars, cakes, Scandinavian potato pancakes and assorted beverages
 Freshly baked goods are one of my life's simple and sometimes guilty pleasures. We luckily live about 3 blocks away from the bakery, an easy walk.

An old fashioned sour cream donut

  As a housewarming gift, my parents dear friends gave us a Sluys gift card and a dozen of their sticky, sweet cinnamon rolls-SHUT THE FRONT DOOR they were good!  This generous gift card was such fun.   Thanks Ward and Judy, we truly feel "thankful for our daily bread" and welcomed to Poulsbo.


Our ticket to the heavenly baked goods


Today, my son and I felt like maple bars. Maple bars were my Grandma Jessie's favorite and I think of her when I eat them.

A pair of soft, butter, maple goodness bars


We enjoy seeing families come in together on the weekends, during early morning walks with friends or a afternoon treat.

An Instagram collage of sugary splendor

Everyone leaves with a smile and a bag or box of their lovelies in hand.

My bag of treasure

A happny blogger and her son after a visit to Sluys
Come by on your next visit to old town Poulsbo, it will become a tradition, a simple and sometimes guilty pleasure. Sluy's doesn't dissapoint. 

Sluy's historic storefront mural 

Chow for now my friends!

Monday, September 9, 2013

I'm baaack!


"Welcome to Poulsbo!"

Hello foodie friends, I've missed you...missed sharing my thoughts with you. Life and business have brought me back and to our new family home in Poulsbo, WA. It's a little Scandinavian seaport town on the Puget Sound and fairly close to Seattle.

one of Poulsbo's Marinas
We live above the old town part of Historic Poulsbo...


Historic District in Poulsbo

Lots of small shops, restaurants and a few bakeries line the streets of Old Town


and love the sea air, the sounds of the seagulls shrieking in the morning fog,




the Lutheran Church around the corner, who's bells chime on the hour and play music everyday at noon and 6pm for 20 minutes or so, flooding our air with songs


We're meeting some great families, exploring the local shops, unpacking, renovating our 50 year old home, going my son's new school, my husband's job and I'm looking for a new job...no biggie!
Good thing our new home town is a quaint mix of serenity, scenic vistas and fun!

Poulsbo Yacht Club in the early morning

I'm so glad to be "back in the saddle again"my friends. We'll be in touch weekly now...
Chow for now!