Food Read: Farm City

If you, like me, are a city dweller who sometimes has pastoral visions of yourself as farmer, raising organic greens and tending to free range chickens, please consider Farm City to be a definite must-read. Oakland local hero Novella Carpenter's memoir manages to be at once both inspiring and grounding. Am I interested in digging through dumpsters of rotting restaurant waste to feed urban pigs who, among other things, also enjoy letting themselves out to roam the neighborhood at will? Not exactly. But would I consider backyard beekeeping? Well, that might be more within reach (if I had a backyard...but that is another issue).

Personally, this lively tome was all I needed to bring me back to earth in remembering the realities of growing food. Namely, that along with warm sun, fresh air, and fertile earth, organic farming also involves a lot of, well, poop. And garbage. And manual labor (and time, and money, and...shall I go on?). You get the picture. It IS fascinating, though, to read about how Carpenter embraced all of those things, along with some more unique challenges, such as a neighborhood riddled with violence and poverty, to create her own personal farm on a pirated lot next to her rented home in Oakland. And it is motivating. Surely, if Novella can persevere through the myriad obstacles she encounters to create a full-blown farm, complete with animals, in the middle of Oakland, I can spend a little more time and money at the Farmers' Market, plant a few more herbs on the deck, and, when the time comes, dive head-first back into the squashland of the winter CSA.

The bonus in this book is a fabulous section at the end with a detailed description of Novella lovingly forming one of her pigs into various salumi under the guidance of Chris Lee of Chez Panisse fame. While the rest of the book may appeal to one's hippie-of-the-new-millennium side, the salumi section is simply pure foodie heaven. It will leave you looking for your own cured meat guru - or at least a Charcuterie Board at your favorite neighborhood cafe.

Excursion: Vancouver, B.C.

We spent five brilliantly sunny days in Vancouver, B.C. during the Olympics. Vancouver is one of the most breathtaking places I have ever seen, but it turns out that the stunningly beautiful scenery is just the beginning. Among its many other amazing qualities (mild weather, efficient light rail & supreme walkability, a plethora of outdoor activities, more than ample shopping, cultural attractions...) we found the city to be a gastronomic delight. It's amazing to experience the intersection of incredible B.C. ocean, agricultural and vineyard products with the considerable talent of the people working with them.

After settling into our condo rental (vrbo.com) on Wednesday evening, we headed out to a late reservation at MARKET by Jean-Georges. The restaurant is in the Shangri-La hotel, with an entrance on Alberni, close to its intersection with Thurlow (incidentally, the Olympic flame was located at the waterfront end of Thurlow and was visible from the intersection). Dress is business casual and the restaurant has a high end contemporary, yet also casual, feel. I was seated on a red velvet banquette, complete with plush patterned pillows, and we loved the salt cellar and tiny silver spoon perched on the edge of our table. Even more, though, we loved the elevated but accessible food. My slowly cooked arctic char was beautifully prepared and seasoned, and the foil of the savory fish and creamy mashed potatoes against the crisp shaved brussels sprouts on top may have finally converted me to a fan of the tiny green cabbage. Of course, the rich, creamy truffle vinaigrette was the true standout of my meal, however. Surprisingly, the standout in Kevin's meal was actually the salsify, left whole and well-complemented by the lemon sauce that accompanied his parmesan crusted organic chicken. Portions are perfect - neither of us needed the french fries or the roasted mushrooms with garlic and jalapeno that we nevertheless relished. The service was also superb.

Thursday's Olympic event concluded late, leaving us with little time to eat. We ventured only a block from our building to the JAPA DOG cart, which we discovered serves plump sausages with Japanese toppings. I had the 'Okonomi', which is a pork hot dog topped with fried cabbage, bonito flake, and Japanese mayo. Somehow this all worked, even despite my reservations about eating fish on my hot dog. For the less adventurous among us, there are 'Regular Hot Dogs' (their term, not mine!), like the 'Turkey Smokie'. A word of warning - if the line for this unique street food is long, expect a significant wait. We waited about 40 minutes for the 20 or so people ahead of us to be served.

Friday found us at Whistler for morning and evening Olympic events, between which we stopped at the BrewHouse at Whistler for lunch and a craft beer. The food was pretty standard, but they were serving up a solid Pale Ale, which we revisited at sister establishment Yaletown Brewing Company on Saturday night.

A somewhat more relaxed schedule on Saturday afforded us the time to catch an early reservation at Boneta in Vancouver's historic Gastown district. Gastown is characterized by the juxtaposition of edgy art galleries and hip eateries with cobblestone streets and impossibly touristy shops, all with a slight gritty undercurrent. I love it. And Boneta seems to exemplify what Gastown is all about. Hip, but not pretentious, and stylish in a really fun, funky, and comfortable, sort-of-vintage, way. They make their own sparkling water, which I can appreciate for environmental reasons, and source ingredients locally, of course. What Chef Jeremie Bastien does with those ingredients is nothing short of inspired. The Daily Baked Viennois Bread with Salted Butter lasted just under ten seconds once the warm, aromatic loaf hit the table. My Braised Lamb Shank and Soft Polenta virtually melted in my mouth, while the crunchy Haricots Vert were just the right accompaniment for texture and the Sun Dried Tomatoes and Nicoise Olive Lamb Jus made the whole thing sing. I stole just about every Cipollini from Kevin's Grilled Flat Iron entree, which was served with a foamy, sherbet-colored, and sweet Carrot Puree and my favorite veg - Kale. I'm told that the restaurant generally features a more European-inspired wine list, but was highlighting B.C. wines for the Olympics, so I had a Syrah that was quite nice. For dessert? Lemon Tarte with Toasted Marshmallow. I found the Citrus Marmalade to be a tiny bit bitter, but I was craving creamy lemon tart for days after... Our server was incredibly personable and very attentive. An excellent experience all around.

We couldn't leave Vancouver without visiting Granville Island, a formerly industrial area under the Granville Street Bridge that has been repurposed into a sort of arts haven and day trip destination. A five minute ferry ride across False Creek from downtown dropped us there, where we bee-lined to, what else, the Public Market. The Market is, among other things, a pastry wonderland, and I bought the most delicious tiny butter tart to savor while we perused the various stalls of fruit, flowers, fish, bread, spices...all of the good things that a market has to offer. Standouts were Chilliwack River Valley Natural Honey, serving up samples of at least eight different honeys to try (I bought a jar of tasty Thistle Honey), as well as South China Seas Trading Co., where I couldn't resist the dazzling array of dried chiles and hard-to-find spices (amchur powder, anyone?).

After the Market, we stopped by the Granville Island Brewing taproom, which is a comfortable, airy, yet cozy, space with soaring ceilings and lots of wood. Our friendly bartender served us up a sampler, which comes in the form of five of the most delightful little logo'd pilsner-esque glasses (each hold about 5 oz. or so). GIB's beers are all named after Vancouver neighborhoods and landmarks - We tried the English Bay Pale Ale, Brockton IPA, Robson St. Hefeweizen, Gastown Amber Ale, and the Cypress Honey Lager - and there wasn't one that I didn't like.

One last quick stop at La Baguette & L'Echalote on our way to the ferry provided us with a couple of croissants for Monday's breakfast and a lavender roll for the quick trip back to the condo.

Despite our Sunday evening medal ceremony tickets and our impending early departure for home the next morning, we managed to eke out one more meal in Vancouver Sunday night, which we picked up from the window of Cafe Crepe on Robson St. My savory spinach and feta crepe was just the thing to hit the spot, and Kevin sang the praises of his four cheese panini all the way back to Nelson St.

It was hard to put ourselves on the train to Seattle Monday morning, but we soothed ourselves with the knowledge that we'll be back...

A Note on Wine: I was lucky enough to get a good recommendation for an affordable local wine on our first night in Vancouver, and I savored it all week. Prospect Winery's Major Allan Merlot is a solid pick from Okanagan Valley B.C.

Wine of the Week: 2008 Rayun Syrah

I have to admit that I became much more interested in this wine when it got a mention as a good pairing for a recipe that I was perusing in the February issue of Food & Wine, and I realized that I just happened to have a bottle waiting in my wine rack. Not that a recommendation in Food & Wine automatically guarantees that I will love a wine but, to be honest, I just haven't as yet found so many fool-proof sources of good under-$20 wine recommendations in my new neighborhood. Thus, I've been trying a lot of less-than-desirable wine. I brought the bottle with us to our favorite neighborhood BYOB pizza place that night, excited by the possibility of a decent $10 find.

A decent $10 find it is, and an excellent pairing for pizza, at that. As one might expect from a young Syrah, the color is a dark purple. The aromas are slightly sour and slightly smoky, in a red fruit-meets-wood stove kind of way, but with a hint of blackberry. I expected this wine to be quite full-bodied and spicy, but found that it was neither as chewy and tannic as I anticipated, nor as peppery. But, the less prominent (but still bold) body and tannins, as well as the balance of fruit and acid, make it an incredibly drinkable red that is a great match for a rich meal full of cheese and red sauce. The flavors are red fruit dominated - think cherries - with a bit of bitter mocha. Definitely worth the $10, and a screw top to boot: no opener required!

Greek Yogurt "Parfait"

This lovely little dish may look like dessert, but it is actually breakfast, and one that I relish for its mix of flavors and textures - a little bit sweet and a little bit savory, creamy but also crunchy. I discovered Greek style yogurt a few years ago, when I was looking for something new to add to my increasingly monotonous work-breakfast routine. Greek yogurt is amazing because it is much thicker than the yogurt that most of us think of when we hear the word "yogurt". While that texture is likely partially contributed to by the generous fat content of the whole milk yogurt, I have found that the 2% still has a similar texture, but hovers in a calorie range that is a bit more to my liking.

To make this tasty and quite satisfying breakfast, which I especially love in the winter for its heartiness and its winter-friendly ingredients, purchase a container of Greek yogurt, single serving or otherwise. I like the Fage (pronounced "fa-yeh") brand, which is widely available in grocery stores, but I'm sure there are many great brands out there to try! You will also need some orange marmalade and sliced or slivered almonds. First, resist the temptation to stir the yogurt. Then, scoop two spoonfuls into the small vessel of your choice (I prefer a teacup, but have also been known to use a tiny plastic storage container when I am on the go!). Then, scoop one spoonful of the marmalade on top, and sprinkle with a generous pinch of the almonds. Continue this pattern for three or four rounds, or until your single-serving yogurt is gone! The orange and the almonds are wintery and delicious together, and the creaminess of the yogurt is a perfect foil for the crunch of the nuts. You can vary the amount of marmalade to adjust the sweetness, or vary the ingredients altogether - I also love to use honey and walnuts.

If you haven't tried Greek yogurt, now is the time! Don't miss out on this great winter breakfast treat.

Sauteed Kale with Smoked Paprika

After braving frigid temperatures on the way to my neighborhood market yesterday, I was relieved to find that the last two tiny bunches of kale were still there just waiting for me to carry them home. I love the hearty winter green for its flavor and weight, not to mention its resilience in my refrigerator - I can always count on it to last while I use up all of my other more perishable produce. These bunches didn't have a chance to prove their longevity, though, as I used them right away!

My favorite thing to do with kale these days is based on this Bon Appetit recipe for Sauteed Kale with Smoked Paprika. It's relatively quick and quite easy and, with a couple of adaptations, I've managed to make it into a meal. As the recipe mentions, any type of kale will do for this dish. I usually rip the leaves into bite-sized pieces before washing them in the salad spinner while I wait for the water to come to a boil. I generously salt the water with a full tablespoon of salt. It makes waiting for the water to boil a bit tedious, but I think it really adds to the flavor of the kale in the end. I've found that the 5 minutes recommended for wilting the kale is just about perfect.

I soften the onions and add the seasoning according to the recipe (though a bit more than a pinch of the crushed red pepper better suits my tastes). Before adding the kale, however, I also like to add a starch, a protein, or a starch and a protein to round out the dish and really make it dinner. In yesterday's version, I simply boiled some redskin potatoes that I had on hand, cubed them, seasoned them with salt and pepper, and added them to the mix. An even easier version uses drained and rinsed canned garbanzo beans. And when I'm feeling like including some protein, cooked chicken sausage, sliced and then cut into quarters, is the perfect addition.

Of course, once the kale is added, a little finishing salt always adds some flavor. I usually skip the extra oil, though. And, in a pinch, regular old paprika works just fine - as long as you like a savory onion flavor!

Find the recipe here: Sauteed Kale with Smoke Paprika