So Much To Be Thankful For

Every month I send out an e-mail newsletter recapping the events (and posts) of the month before. November's newsletter expresses the multitude of things I'm thankful for, including my readers (that's you!).

I don’t know about you, but how it got to be less than a week before Thanksgiving, I have no idea! In any case, I’m making my list of things to be thankful for, and it’s practically endless.

Pot roast bourguignon.

First, we’ve had a stunning streak of great fall weather here in Portland with cool-but-not-freezing temperatures, which means that our growing season has extended well into the fall and the greens are still pouring in from local farms…I’ve even seen corn on the cob! But my thoughts are definitely turning toward braises, stews and soups—see the recently posted recipe for Fennel-Braised Pork Belly that would work just as well with a pork shoulder or the Pot Roast Bourguignon that makes a second dinner with the leftovers tossed with pasta!

Castelfranco chicory.

Second is the great fortune we have to be able to access fresh, locally grown food all year round at the many winter farmers’ markets in the region, filled with farmers who are in turn supplied by our regional seed breeders—I’m particularly thinking of all the varieties of chicories that have brought their peppery bite to our salad bowls of late, and the squash that are just now making their way onto our winter tables. Squash pie for Thanksgiving, anyone?

Anthony and Carol Boutard, Ayers Creek Farm.

Third are the amazing people who are part of our local food system, and without whom Good Stuff NW would be a dull and barren place, indeed. Folks like Anthony and Carol Boutard of Ayers Creek Farm, Claudia Lucero of Urban Cheesecraft who’s on a mission to empower people through food, and the people who make up Friends of Family Farmers and the Culinary Breeding Network (thanks Shari, Ivan and Lane!) who are putting on the upcoming Fill Your Pantry and Squash Sagra event on December 9th celebrating the farmers, plant breeders and chefs who make this such a special place to live.

International trade is fun!

On a personal note, I can’t tell you how relieved I am that the election is over and thankful that there is some indication that the country is over the circus-like embarrassment and national humiliation that has been the current administration. There is still lots of work to be done, however, as outlined by Hillsdale Farmers’ Market assistant manager Azul Tellez Wright in her essay, Defining Food Justice. And I learned a tremendous amount—well, at least a smidge—about Oregon and its trading relationship recently from Dr. Lorenzo Terzi, European Union Minister for Food Safety and Animal Welfare, whose goal is to get back to his family’s farm in Italy. Bravo, Lorenzo!

Biscuits…mmmmm.

Oh, and how lucky am I to have found a husband, father, baker, bartender and the true muse for Good Stuff NW in my husband, who makes the most amazing To-Die-For, Sky-High Biscuits?

Also, many thanks and felicitations to the sponsors of Good Stuff NW that make it possible to bring this source of news and information to you, Providore Fine Foods, Hopworks Urban Brewery and Vino wine shop.

Happy holidays, and many thanks to you, as well, for reading!

If you would like to receive the Good Stuff NW monthly newsletter, just send me an e-mail.

Green Bean Casserole, Redux

I just realized that Thanksgiving is next week, not two or three weeks in the future as I had somehow convinced myself. Luckily I contacted my turkey connection this last week, congratulating myself for being so ahead of the game. (Oops!) So now the long list of possible sides is being compiled, to be added to the "must haves" of turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and pie, and the voting and deal-making is getting fierce. Real Good Food contributor Jim Dixon's recipe for reconstructed green bean casserole, using still-in-season foraged chanterelles, is high on the list.

Green Bean "Casserole"

I can't eat the old school version anymore, but I came up with this homage that provides the same flavors but tastes much better. If you can get chanterelles, use them, but any mushrooms will work.

Slice a pound of mushrooms and put them in a skillet with some salt but no added fat [or oil] over medium high heat. The mushrooms will start giving up water right away, and you want to cook them in their own juices until it's almost gone before adding a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. (If we're having the usual November weather, chanterelles can be very wet, and this technique concentrates the flavor and improves the texture. It also works with most mushrooms.)

After you add the oil, add a finely chopped shallot and a good shot of dry sherry (a good fino is perfect). Let that bubble away for a few minutes, then add a pound of green beans that you've cooked in boiling, salted water for 3 minutes and drained. Pour in about a half cup of heavy cream, bring to a boil, and cook for a maybe 5 minutes or until the cream has thickened and the beans are tender. Adjust the salt, add some black pepper if you feel like it, and serve topped with crispy fried onions from a can (Lars is a Danish brans sold at New Seasons that's better then the ubiquitous French's). You could make your own or substitute bread crumbs or nuts, but I think some kind of crunchy topping is required. Have a great Thanksgiving.

Cranberry Relish with Bourbon, Dixon-style

Contributor Jim Dixon is usually a free-style kinda guy, mixing whatever he's got in his garden or can find at the farmers' market with products he carries in his Real Good Food line of products. But when it comes to Thanksgiving, he's all about the classics—with a twist.

I like to eat the same thing I've had almost every Thanksgiving of my life, and if you want cook the Dixon meal, go here. I salt my turkey, which I think works better then brine. I've got a smallish 11 lb bird, so I’m leaning toward the same ass-backward spatchcocking that I do with chicken. My other tips: Make a lot of gravy, more stuffing than you might think you'll need (technically dressing, since you should cook it outside the bird) and a creamy vegetable side dish (these creamed leeks with fennel pollen, for example).


Cranberry, Orange and Meyer Lemon Relish



When I was a kid my Thanksgiving Day job was running fresh cranberries and oranges through a hand-cranked meat grinder to make the cranberry-orange relish recipe that was on the back of the Ocean Spray bag. Later I graduated to the food processor, and a few years ago I started using maple syrup as the sweetener. While my mother also makes at least three more different cranberry sauces every year, I still like the simple relish the best. There's always a lot left over, and after eating it on turkey sandwiches for a few days, I'll mix it with yogurt or just eat it plain.



Adding a Meyer lemon and using the Louisiana cane syrup from Three Brothers Farm seemed like a fairly safe modification of the original, and since you want to make the relish a few days before Thanksgiving, I made a batch this weekend and liked it. A little more tart than usual, but tasty. Did I mention the bourbon?



Put a bag (12 oz. or a couple of cups) of cranberries in the food processor. Since they grow here, try to find some from Oregon or Washington, and there are a few organic growers out there, too. Cut an orange and a Meyer lemon into pieces, pick out any seeds, and toss them in, too (don't peel). Add about a half cup of Three Brothers cane syrup (substitute maple syrup; sugar works, too, start with 3/4 cup). Pour in a good shot (an ounce or two) of bourbon. Process for a couple of minutes until you can't see big chunks of citrus peel, then taste and adjust sugar. Store in the refrigerator until it's gone.

You can find Jim at his Real Good Food warehouse store just about every Monday from 4 to 7 pm. It's at 833 SE Main and occupies the corner of SE 9th and Main, number 122. Look for the “extra virgin” sign on the sidewalk out front, and park on the street since the lot is for tenants.

Top photo: Coastal Washington cranberry bog by Keith Weller from Wikipedia.

A Little Something on the Side

I don't know about you, but whether the main dish at the holiday is ham or roast beef, turkey, chicken or even fish, what I really care about is the sides. This week Jim Dixon of Real Good Food shares his most-requested holiday side dish and reminds you that you can get great winter squash, brussels sprouts (whole stalks for as little as $3), fresh cranberries, mushrooms, hearty greens, cheeses, eggs and almost everything else you need for your own holiday meal at your local farmers' market. Find Jim at PSU starting at 9 am on Sat., 11/20, or check here for listings.

I’ll be moving the content from my original website to the new one for the next several months, but I did get my version of Thanksgiving online. While it includes the instructions (I can’t really call it a recipe) for the industrial version of green bean casserole, do your guests a favor and make these brussels sprouts instead.

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Mustard

Once I started cooking brussels sprouts like this, nobody ever wanted them any other way. It seems like everybody is using bacon with brussels sprouts this year, and while bacon is never a bad idea, it makes whatever it’s in more about the bacon. Brussels sprouts are delicious on their own, and this dish has converted more than a few haters. The key, as with many in the cruciferous family, is to cook uncovered.

I learned this from Jason French and David Padberg when they cooked at the late, great, clarklewis here in Portland (and by “late” I mean the long gone days of Michael Hebb and Morgan Brownlow; the place is still open, but with chef Dolan Lane cooking). Jason’s now chef-owner at Ned Ludd; David’s the chef at Park Kitchen. They used butter, “more than you might think,” as David said, but I use extra virgin olive oil, natch, and the results are delicious.

Trim a pound of sprouts, then halve or quarter lengthwise (the flat cut surfaces brown better). Dice a medium onion. Cook the onion in about a generous pour of extra virgin olive oil and a good pinch of sea salt for a few minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the sprouts. Cook uncovered, turning occasionally, for about 45 minutes, until the sprouts have browned nicely. Add about a quarter cup of whole grain mustard, stir, and cook for another 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Protecting Your Investment and Eating Well

You may have decided that you want to taste a turkey that's closer to what our ancestors found running around the countryside, and you've ordered a heritage turkey for your table. If you're wondering how to cook this much leaner bird to get the best result from your considerable investment, Kookoolan Farms is offering a series of instructional classes on marinating, brining and using spice rubs to get the most out of your bird.

Each class will feature Chef Gareth Mark of Stumptown Savory who will prepare the turkey and side dishes, provide recipes to students and, best of all, the class will sit down for a full dinner including a wine pairing and dessert. Each three-hour class is $65 with a choice of three regional themes, Southern, Southwest and Northwest, and will take place from 6 to 9 pm at Kookoolan Farms, 15713 Highway 47 in Yamhill, Oregon. Reservations can be made by calling the farm at 503-730-7535.

• Fri., Oct 23: Southern Holiday Dinner. Buttermilk-marinated Turkey, Turkey Gravy, Cranberry-Orange Relish, Cornbread and Bacon Dressing, Candied Yams, Waldorf Salad, Greens, Pecan Pie.
• Fri., Oct 30: Southwest Holiday Dinner. Chipotle spice-rub Turkey, Turkey Gravy, Cranberry Salsa, Dressing, Whipped Chipotle Sweet Potatoes, Salad with Agave-Tequila Vinaigrette, Side dish, Dessert
• Fri., Nov 6: Northwest Holiday Dinner. Apple-Brined Turkey, Turkey Gravy, Cranberry-Apple Chutney, Sausage-Mushroom Dressing with Apple, Sage, Hazelnut, Garlic Smashers, Salad, Roasted Carrots, Butternut Squash Pie

Photo by Mike Walters.

A Man's Gotta Do What a Man's Gotta Do

The ongoing crisis in the Middle East, the struggle between mainland China and Taiwan and now the flare-up between Pakistan and India over the recent terrorist attacks? They've got nothing on the potential fireworks involved in negotiating holiday meals with the family. The delicacy and maneuvering required as must-have side dishes are put forward for consideration, old family recipes are tossed in (and out) and dietary restrictions are figured into the mix would have Hillary grabbing for her migraine pills.

Like when Dave learned we were going to my brother's for Thanksgiving dinner. Normally an invitation to his and Ms. W-'s place isn't even a question due to the depth of his liquor cabinet and the quality of his cooking. But for this occasion Dave's reaction was a look of disbelief and a cry of "But I was planning to smoke the turkey in the smoker!"

After assuring him that he could smoke a turkey the next day, leaving plenty of leftovers for turkey sandwiches and his beloved turkey enchiladas, he immediately switched into research mode, looking up which wood charcoal to use as well as the complex calculations involved in getting the temperature and timing just right.

Suffice it to say that not only did we have a wonderful holiday meal with the family that included incredible cocktails and wines, a whole grilled turkey and some great side dishes, but the next day's smoking produced a bronzed beauty (top photo) and some rocking turkey enchiladas (left).

Another year, another negotiation successfully concluded. Now to start putting out feelers for Christmas.

Dave's Favorite Turkey Enchiladas

For the sauce:
6 dried ancho chiles, seeded and torn into pieces
2 small hot red chiles, seeded and torn into pieces (optional)
3 1/2 c. boiling water
1 Tbsp. cumin seeds
2 Tbsp. (6-8) garlic cloves
4 tsp. oregano
3 Tbsp. paprika (I use 1 Tbsp. smoked Spanish pimenton and 2 Tbsp. regular paprika)
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
2-4 c. roasted tomatoes (optional depending on how strong you like your enchilada sauce)

For the enchiladas:
4-6 c. cooked turkey, chopped
2 c. grated Monterey Jack or sharp cheddar cheese, grated
3 green onions, chopped
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. sauce (recipe above)
Salt to taste
8 flour tortillas

Place the torn chiles in a heat-proof bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Soak for 30 min. until they are soft and pliable. Drain them, reserving the soaking water, and place them in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Add remaining ingredients and 1/2 c. soaking liquid and process till smooth, gradually adding the rest of the soaking water. Pour into saucepan and heat to simmer, then remove from heat.

Mix turkey, cheese, onions, sour cream and sauce in large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Pour 1/2 c. of sauce in bottom of 9" by 12" baking dish and spread evenly over bottom of dish. Put 1/8 of enchilada mixture down center of one tortilla and roll, placing it seam-side down in baking dish. Repeat with remaining mixture and tortillas. Pour sauce over top to cover thinly (there should be sauce left over). Bake 40 min. in 350° oven. Serve leftover sauce on side or save for use in huevos rancheros, tacos, etc.