Saba Center for Health and Healing: August 2008

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Now In Season

Summertime Eating

When summer comes I think two things: salsa and sweet corn. Probably because for as long as I can remember these are the two things that my father made in abundance when I was younger. But I have to say, there’s nothing like fresh tomatoes, carrots, cilantro, scallions, and peppers chopped, diced and married into a perfection of flavors, served with a side of chips or fresh bread. And then the corn on the cob, boiled and buttered, it pops in your mouth in a way that takes you by surprise.

So what’s in season for the summer months? Here’s a list to keep in mind next time you’re at the grocery store or the local farmers market.

VEGETABLES
Broccoli, cabbage, corn, cucumber, eggplant, garlic, fennel, fresh onions, green beans, kohlrabi, hot and sweet peppers, potatoes, shell beans, zucchini, tomatoes, tomatillos.

MEAT AND SEAFOOD
Albacore tuna, trap-caught sablefish (black cod) free-range chicken, halibut, pastured pork, wild-caught salmon

GREENS
Amaranth, orach, purslane, quinoa greens

HERBS
Basil, cilantro, dill, mint, savory, tarragon

FRUIT
Blackberries, blackcaps, blueberries, boysenberries, cantaloupes currents, figs, prunes, plums, galia melon, gooseberries, peaches, raspberries, sweet and tart cherries, table grapes, watermelon, wild huckleberries

CHEESE AND EGGS
Fresh chevre, feta, fromage blanc, Tumalo Tomme, sheep’s milk yogurt, eggs

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If anyone has been to, or grown up in the Northeast then they know that springtime there means mud.

Lots of it.

I have vivid memories of growing up in Vermont and every March watching the snow melt into the earth and creating the deepest quicksand pits of mud. As kids this was an excuse to get filthy...I can only imagine how my parents felt about having four children marching through the house covered in brown muck.

Springtime in the Northwest is a bit different. It's wet and green. The growing season is much longer than that of the Northeast. I have now been spoiled by the availability of fresh produce year-round and have spent many dreary Sunday mornings in January walking up to the market to pick out fresh squash for dinner.

Now with the Spring months on their way in, there is a whole new array of fruits and vegetables to fill my plate and excite my palate.

I have devised a list of the freshest of spring foods along with some delicious recipes. So get out there and eat your artichokes.

Greens and wild things
Arugula, beet tops, chard, collards, salad greens, sorrel, bok choy, watercress, spinach, fiddle head ferns, morels, nettles, ramps, wood sorrel, dandelion greens

Fruit
Wild strawberries, mango, salmonberries

Herbs
Lovage, mint, parsley

Root veggies
Potatoes, garlic, spring onions

Vegetables and legumes
Artichokes, asparagus, fava beans, rhubarb, scallions, garlic scallions, leeks, spring peas, radishes, beets, baby carrots

Cheese and eggs
Chicken and duck eggs, sheep and goat milk cheeses

Meat and seafood
Grass-fed lamb, fresh spring Chinook salmon, rock fish, lingcod, shrimp, black cod

Steamed Spring Asparagus

There is nothing like the taste of fresh spring asparagus right out of the ground. When I worked on my best friend's farm as a teenager, we would wake early in the morning, stand in the dew with our buckets in hand and fight over who got to go out to the asparagus patch. We would be paired up in twos, then walk along the rows with our eyes peeled, trying to decipher the green finger-like shoots from the surrounding weeds. When we would find them, it usually went one in the bucket and one in the stomach.

This is a super easy recipe and it gives these greens a chance to pop with flavor.

1 bunch asparagus
juice of ½ lemon
1 pad of butter

Cut off the bottom 1 inch or so of the asparagus and place in a pan where they can lay flat. Add an inch of water, and bring to a boil. Only allow them to boil for a minute otherwise they get mushy and lose their flavor and nutrients. Drain the pan place the pad of butter on the spears and roll them around, squeeze the half lemon over the top and serve.

Good for: this food is great for the liver and the urinary tract.

Boiled artichoke with lemon caper butter

People often ask me how to cook these things and I promise they’re not as intimidating as they may look. And I've discovered there is nothing like a fresh artichoke. The Portland Farmers Market was the first time I’d ever had one and it blew me away. They were meaty and sweet and turned a beautiful brilliant green when I boiled them. Anytime you can get your hands on one that has just been picked I highly recommend it.

This recipe is a great appetizer and when I cook for my friends this is one dish that is often a request.

2 medium sized artichokes

for the butter:
½ stick organic butter
1 clove garlic chopped
1 TBS chopped parsley
1 TBS capers
juice of half a lemon
6 grinds black pepper
salt to taste

Boil artichokes until you can easily pull out the leaves, about 30 minutes. To make the butter place all the ingredients in a microwave proof bowl (not plastic please) and heat for about 45 seconds or until butter is melted. Place the artichokes in a dish along with an empty one for the discarded leaves. I usually put it in the center of the table so my guests can reach, dip and discard while the butter drips down their chin.

Good for: the liver loves this plant