Farm Bulletin: Trust Is the Glue

“Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships,” Stephen R. Covey wrote. True in business, it's also true in life. This week, contributor Anthony Boutard of Ayers Creek Farm elucidates the importance of longterm, stable relationships between the farmer and his local grocers.

We will return to the Hillsdale Farmers' Market with a full cargo of Chesters, along with Triple crowns. If you all run out of fruit midweek, Food Front and most New Seasons stores carry our berries. We harvest about 900 full 12-pint flats of berries a week during the peak of our blackberry season. Of those we sell only 100 at market, the balance finds it way to these grocery stores. We have a very good relationship with the buyers, Josh Alsberg at Food Front and Jeff Fairchild at New Seasons, and their staff. It meant a lot to us that both Josh and Jeff took the time attend our Ramble last year.

Food Front Cooperative Grocery.

About ten years ago, a national chain opened a store in Portland and contacted us about supplying berries. They bought a lot and were happy with our quality. The problem is that they rotated staff all over the country, making it impossible to establish a longterm working relationship with a produce manager. When each new harvest started, we found ourselves at the courtship stage again. The new person was from Palo Alto, Austin or Miami and knew nothing about the local produce. It didn't seem to matter that the chain sent a fancy photographer from Los Angeles to photograph us. For all we know, the fancy photographer photo still hangs in the store. The final straw was when they went extremely bureaucratic with respect to ordering and receiving. A very officious letter with lots of attachments explained all of the ways they didn't have to pay us if we strayed from the rules. Threatening farmers with nonpayment puts a deep and irreversible crimp in the relationship.

New Seasons Market.

The pleasure of working with Josh and Jeff is that we have known their staff for years. And when New Seasons opens a new store, it is always a seasoned staff member who takes the lead. We are not actually dealing with a new store, just a familiar face in a new setting. We know staff by name and it is always one of us who makes the delivery. This detailed approach means the store can eliminate wasted berries. If they feel they are a bit long on berries, they can email or call us and we adjust the orders. A fair measure of our time is spent convincing stores that running out of Chesters is okay.

This week we will have lots of berries, some purslane and amaranth, frikeh, herbs, shallots and garlics. We will leave the preserves at the farm in order to fit all the berries in the van. If you want to make your own preserves, this early season fruit is the best choice. All of our preserves are made from the first harvest, which means we never need to add pectin. There is enough in the fruit to get a good set. Adding pectin diminishes the flavor.

Grill It. Grill It Good.

If it has to do with the grill and the garden, you can bet that contributor Jim Dixon of RealGoodFood will be all over it. And I love his mention of the edible herbs that may be growing in a neighbor's yard, though of course I'd always encourage you to ask first before gathering…or "liberating" as it was called in more, shall we say, revolutionary times.

Salsa Verde

Just about any fresh herb or mix of herbs chopped with some olive oil and some combination of garlic, shallot, onion, anchovy, capers, hard-boiled egg, vinegar or lemon (juice and zest) can be called salsa verde and be delicious. And the long-awaited sun called for firing up the Weber for some grilled protein.

After arranging some skirt steak and tuna over the coals, I chopped together French sorrel and mint from my garden, a few Egyptian onions from last year—dried out a bit but intensely flavorful—salt-packed capers, anchovy and a hard-boiled egg, then stirred in a few glugs of extra virgin olive oil and splash of Katz late harvest sauvignon blanc vinegar.

We spooned the salsa verde over the beef and fish, but it’d be good over just about anything. If you don’t have herbs growing in your yard (or a neighbor’s), buy some flat leaf parsley and a couple of other herbs from the farmers' market or New Seasons and make a batch now.

Livin' in the Blurbs: Springing into Action

Pssssst…don't tell anyone, but despite dire predictions of blizzards and storms, the daffodils are coming up around the neighborhood, trees are beginning to blossom and spring peas are being planted in gardens. Another sure sign of spring is the plethora of classes being offered at locales around the city for everything from urban beekeeping to gardening in small spaces to pruning trees to making cheese at home (a cheesemaking class at Kookoolan Farms, above). And adults don't get to have all the fun…there are classes for kids, too, so your budding chef, chicken wrangler or worm composter can get in on the action. All this and more for your spring edification can be found on the GoodStuffNW calendar in the column on the left, so take a couple of minutes to scroll down through the (extensive!) list. I guarantee you'll find something for yourself or someone you know!

* * *

One of my favorite organizations in the city is Zenger Farm, and all during March you have an opportunity to eat and shop and have a percentage of your purchases benefit this urban farm. Why should you care? Because on 16 acres along the Springwater Corridor (10 acres of wetland; 6 acres of an organic farm) they train and support immigrant farmers to raise and sell their crops at the nearby Lents International Farmers' Market, bring area students to the farm for tours and hands-on classes, plus educate the larger community on sustainable food systems and environmental stewardship. If this sounds worthy to you, mark your calendars for the following dates:

• Sun., Mar. 11: The Bent Brick, 1639 NW Marshall St.
• Mon., Mar. 12: Pine State Biscuits, 2204 NE Alberta St. & 3640 SE Belmont St.

• Tues., Mar. 13: The Woodsman Tavern, 4537 SE Division St.
• Wed., Mar. 14: Ned Ludd, 3925 NE MLK Jr. Blvd.; Naomi's Organic Farm Supply,  2615 SE Schiller St.; Lincoln Restaurant, 3808 N Williams Ave. #127
• Thur., Mar. 15: Biwa, 215 SE 9th Ave.
• Fri., Mar. 16: Grand Central Bakery, All locations; Portland Nursery, 5050 SE Stark St. & 9000 SE Division St.


• Sat., Mar. 17: Tastebud, Bingo Sandwich & Picklopolis at the PSU Farmers Market; Concentrates, Inc.,5505 SE Int'l. Way,  Milwaukie; One Green World Plantmobile, 1:30-4 pm, (Concentrates parking lot)
• Sun., Mar. 18: Stumptown Coffee Roasters, all Portland locations
• Mon., Mar. 19: Bob’s Red Mill, 5000 SE International Way Milwaukie, OR, 97222
• Tues.- Thurs., Mar. 20-22: Sunshine Tavern, 3111 SE Division St.

* * *

There's an oft-repeated saw that farmers' markets are just outdoor shopping malls for elitist foodies. Well, I'm here to tell you that's a big fat lie. Many, if not most, of our local farmers' markets have programs using grant funds from businesses like New Seasons Market to provide matching dollars for customers paying with SNAP (food stamps) cards. (This year New Seasons handed out grant awards ranging from $300 to $10,000 to 25 neighborhood farmers' markets.) What's really terrific for the SNAP recipients is that the tokens they get (above left) are nearly identical to the ones that other customers receive, taking the embarrassment factor out of their transactions. “Since the SNAP match program with New Seasons Market began in 2009, the Lents International Farmers Market (LIFM) has distributed over $8,000 in matched dollars, providing hundreds of underserved East Portland residents with access to fresh, healthy food,” said Laleña Dolby, Director of Development of Friends of Zenger Farm, a partner in LIFM. “In 2012, Zenger Farm will give at least $4,500 in matched SNAP funds, which will increase the number of families who can put healthy food on their tables as well as provide immediate support to emerging and immigrant farmers and vendors who sell at our market.” Amen.

Photo of tokens by Sarah Gilbert.

Chilly? Not Tonight!

I don't know how it worked with the big guys like Einstein, Mozart or Picasso, but sometimes all it takes to get me inspired is the smallest whiff of an idea. Like yesterday afternoon when I had to run to the store to get coffee beans so we wouldn't be all cotton-headed in the morning.

My neighborhood New Seasons market was handing out samples of ready-to-heat chili made by a small company in Southern Oregon. I picked one up and tasted it, and I'm sure the other shoppers saw the thought bubble that formed above my head. "Oooh…yeah. Chili!" But instead of running to the shelf where the product was kept, I went to the meat counter and got a couple of pounds of chuck roast, then to the canned goods aisle for three big cans of kidney beans.

Yes, I know, I should have gone to the bulk aisle and cooked up my own beans, but time was short and I needed to get home and make dinner, and by now my chili jones was going strong. After picking up the coffee beans (See, I didn't forget!), I got home, chopped onions and garlic and the last little ancho peppers from the garden, threw them in the pot with a few dried herbs, added the beans, roasted tomatoes and meat and let it cook for a couple of hours. Fabulous!

This would be a great recipe for a slow-cooker, and would be even better if you got some beans soaking the night before, but for a relatively quick, hearty winter meal it's divine. All it takes a is a little inspiration!

Quick Beef Chili

2 Tbsp. oil
3 slices bacon (optional)
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 ancho peppers or bell peppers, chopped (optional)
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 bay leaf
3 25-oz. cans kidney beans, or 6 c. cooked beans
4 c. roasted or canned tomatoes
2 lbs. chuck roast, cut in 1" cubes
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in Dutch oven. Sauté bacon, if using, until fat begins to render. Add onions, garlic and peppers and sauté till tender. Add oregano, cumin, chili powder and bay leaf and stir briefly to combine. Add beans, sauce and meat (no browning necessary) and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 90 min., longer if you want fall-apart tender beef. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with your favorite chili condiments like cheddar cheese, rice, chopped onions or whatever.

Cranberries for All

I was a latecomer to Facebook but now I'm addicted thanks, not to the cute puppy videos (mostly from Japan…what is up with that?) or the "look at me in junior high" pics from old folks, but to photos like this from Vincent Cranberries. They're the fourth generation-and-counting Bandon cranberry producers whose products are seen on the shelves of New Seasons markets and other local retailers.

The caption on this photo reads:

"David and Natalie Vincent in a sea of Cranberries. We loaded out our second bog of the year. It was Ty, David, Nat, Uncle Bob and Tyler today. The sun was shining, wind was blowing and a good time was had by all…"

Tomato Sandwich, Tweaked

Though I'm sure he doesn't mean to (he's a bonafide sweetie), this week contributor Jim Dixon of RealGoodFood mocks my lack of ripe tomatoes.

This time last summer I had yet to pick a tomato from my garden. While the weather this year has been depressingly similar, I ate my first homegrown tomato last week. Moving the plants out to our south-facing driveway, a heat sink that’s always about 10 degrees warmer than the beds in back, is why. Whether you have just one or a basketful or buy them at the farmers market, eat ripe tomatoes like this.

Deconstructed Tomato Sandwich

If you’ve been reading my postings for long, you’ve seen this before. But keep reading, because this year’s version is a little different. For those new the to DTS, here’s the backstory.

Fresh, in season, “real” tomatoes don’t need much embellishment. Salt, extra virgin olive oil, and good bread. (And mayo, which is basically more oil and egg, if you lean that way; I think Best Foods, Hellman’s to the easterners, is just fine, though you can make your own if you want.) But a traditional sandwich gets too messy if you load it up with tomatoes. So my version devolved to a pile of sandwich ingredients and skips the assembly.

Toast a few slices of good bread. For me, that means Ken’s, New Seasons wheat levain, or Grand Central campangolo. While the bread is toasting, slice the tomatoes, as many as you can eat, and sprinkle with flor de sal. Drizzle the bread with extra virgin olive oil (that’s the new part). Put a slice of tomato on a piece of toast, add a nice dab of mayo, and eat. Repeat as long as the tomatoes keep coming.

Bigger Chickens, Better Flavor

My friend Chrissie Zaerpoor at Kookoolan Farms sends out a monthly newsletter about her farm and the practices that make it a very different place from most conventional farm operations. She recently announced that her chickens are once again available at New Seasons Markets and every Sunday through October at the Hillsdale Farmers' Market. Most important of all, she provided a recipe that will have you swearing to never go back to industrially raised chickens again.

Here’s a secret about chickens: the big ones have the best texture and flavor.

When we set out as new farmers to raise our own meats, from the beginning our goal was to produce the best food available anywhere, period. We had read about the difference in flavor and nutrition possible with pasture-raised meats and poultry in some of the books by Dr. Andrew Weill, but although he strongly recommended and endorsed the nutritional and health benefits of eating pasture-raised meats, at the time he advocated a mostly vegetarian diet as an alternative for most people, because pasture-raised meats were nearly impossible to find. We couldn’t find pasture-raised meats at the time either, so we decided to do it ourselves. That was six years ago.

We also decided to wait to slaughter our chickens until they reach age of nine weeks, compared to 45 days old for most confinement/industrially raised chickens. And we think that because they're raised outdoors, our birds have a better quality of life and that at some level they must appreciate having longer lives than they would if we kept them indoors.

More mature birds, finished at a larger size and who get more exercise, not surprisingly have better muscle development, better flavor and better texture, resulting in better tasting poultry than we’ve ever had anywhere. It also makes for more efficient weeknight cooking: roast a chicken for a luxe Sunday night dinner. Slice the leftovers for Monday night sandwiches. Dice what’s left for Tuesday curry. And then simmer the carcass for comfort food chicken soup.

Perfect Roast Chicken

Adapted from The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbookby Shannon Hayes

This simple recipe will fill your house with great smells. The pan juices are wonderful served plain or made into a gravy. Pull the leftover chicken for chicken salad or sandwiches, and make stock from the carcass.

1 Tbsp. coarse sea salt
1 Tbsp freshly-ground black pepper
1 Tbsp dried thyme
2 Tbsp dried oregano
1 clove garlic (or one Tbsp minced bottled garlic)
¼ cup olive oil

1 whole chicken

Preheat the oven to 350°. Make the herb paste in a food processor or mortar and pestle by mixing together the salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, garlic and olive oil.

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the herb paste all over the chicken, being sure to get underneath as well as on top of the skin. Allow to sit for two hours uncovered in the refrigerator, or roast immediately, roughly 90 minutes for a 4-to-5 pound chicken, or closer to 2 hours for a 6-to-7 pound chicken.* Secret farmer tip: bigger chickens really do have better texture and flavor compared to small birds!

Check for doneness any of these three ways: the legs are loose, the juices run clear (not pink) when the skin is pricked at the point where the leg attaches to the body, or when the internal temperature of the thigh reads more than 165° (some people prefer 170°; 165° is the safe minimum). Let the bird rest 10-15 minutes before carving.

* This would also be fantastic roasted over indirect heat in your charcoal grill.

Top photo from Kookoolan Farms, photo of baby chick by Fredrick Joe for The Oregonian.