EATING LOCAL – Food revolution gains steam as parents demand quality

Earlier this month I attended a talk on food awareness by Chantal Valentine, a Whitman College graduate who authored “The Baby Cuisine Cookbook” and has launched a “preschool food revolution” in the San Francisco Bay Area in response to the food served in her child’s school.

Seeing a need for a healthy change in their community, she and husband Shane, were speaking at Whitman to share their knowledge and bring about awareness and change to the processed food trend aimed at children. With the extreme rise of obesity and Type-2 diabetes, and the realization that our poor food habits are the cause, people in increasing numbers in the United States are starting to take action. The Valentines are among those on the frontline of a growing movement.

For the first time in history, children born in the year 2000 and after are forecast to have a shorter life span then their parents. These kids have a 1-in-3 chance of contracting Type-2 diabetes, something that is avoidable with healthy food choices.

In Berkeley, Calif., chef Alice Waters started an “Edible Schoolyard” to teach kids about growing, harvesting, and preparing nutritious, seasonal produce. For over 16 years, the project has … Continue Reading

Cultured foods from many cultures make for happy digestive tract

The closing of October marks the end of the Walla Walla Farmers’ Market for the year, so I made sure to attend the last Saturday market. It was a picture perfect autumn morning — brightly colored leaves, azure-blue sky and everyone dressed in warm hats and puffy jackets.

Off in the corner of the market, an old white truck had its tailgate down. Inside were beautiful giant green cabbages, larger than I had ever seen before. Alongside them lay gorgeous purple cauliflower, just as big and stunning.

“Better get some before they’re all gone!” Amiee, the market manager, told me.

I don’t know if you’ve ever actually cut up a cabbage and realized how a little bit goes a long way, but a standard grocery store cabbage in our house can last us a few weeks worth of soup, coleslaw and sauteing. And this guy, at least three times the size of … Continue Reading

Savor fall with seasonal snacks and treats kids can help make

Now that summer is officially over, it’s time to celebrate fall and all of its wonderful seasonal foods. Days are cooling down and nights require an extra blanket on the bed. Time for hearty winter squash, fresh orchard fruits like warm apple treats and crisp delicious pears.

Today I stocked up on a variety of winter squash, from the deep orange -red kuri to the smooth, creamy butternut, from the yellow and green striped delicata to the required sugar pie pumpkin. Each has a different use in our house and is perfect for its own individual recipe.

The red kuri is wonderful cut in half, baked until tender and scooped out for use in pancakes, cookies or other sweet, savory treats. The butternut is easy to peel and chop for use in soup, risotto, pan fried, or just roasted in the oven with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.

The delicata has a thin skin and does not require peeling, making it a wonderful dish cut in … Continue Reading

Walla Walla farm dinners are something to rave about

Farm dinners? I hadn’t heard about them either, until about a year ago. And it was one of the reasons that brought me to Walla Walla. To tell the story right, I have to start at the beginning, with a Bacon Affair.

While living in Los Angeles, a friend told me about an underground dinner she recently attended, all dishes themed around bacon. She described it as a foodie rave party, where there were a limited number of tickets, in a secret location that changed with every event, and no one knew where until the last minute.

I had to know more, so I did some research and contacted the woman running the event. Tickets were $75 per person, so attending was not realistic for my husband and me. So I offered to help out in the kitchen in exchange for being a part of the event and learn more.

The event was beautiful, the food fancy and delicious, and … Continue Reading

With summer waning, fresh fall produce takes center stage

Stepping outside this morning, ready to walk the kids to school, I felt a chill in the air and had to run back inside to get a jacket.

The first day of fall is right around the corner, and with it comes cooler weather and a new season of produce. Every year at this time, I begin to look forward to the new crop of apples, winter squash and pears.

Cold weather makes me crave warm soups and hearty dishes, something I wouldn’t have dreamed of in the peak of summer heat.

But there is a bittersweetness to the change: I will miss the summer produce, sweet and delicious from the heat of the sun.

Walking through the community garden, I see tomato plants as tall as I am, so full the cages can no longer manage the weight of the juicy bounty. More than enough for the gardeners, some overripe tomatoes fall to the ground.

In my garden bed, I have more crookneck squash than I know what to do with. I can’t seem to … Continue Reading

Sharing meals together nurtures more than just body

The weekend before last I pulled my family out of bed early for a pancake breakfast at the Muddy Frogwater Festival in Milton-Freewater. We arrived at the park with the sun starting to peak over the hills. There was a variety of people gathered, from seniors to toddlers, and everyone in between. After passing through the line, where we were offered pancakes, bacon, sausage, and eggs, we found seats at communal tables, and enjoyed our breakfast amongst other members of our community. Smiles and warm greetings easily passed across the tables, along with the maple syrup and butter.

Sharing meals with others is more than just the physical benefits of nutrition and health. Eating together builds family and community bonds. It brings people together over something common. It promotes unity and a sense of belonging. It gives us a chance to relax, nourish our bodies and connect with the people around us.

Food is something that is common among us all. But we each have our own food culture and history that we bring to the table. From the food we grew up eating, to recipes passed down from generation to generation, to cooking skills and knowledge we have learned along the way. These are all treasures to be shared and passed on.

Like the “suzy pancakes,” or crepe Suzette, my grandma made whenever we visited. Rich and delicious, with butter oozing out of the folds. My grandpa would joke that … Continue Reading

Joys of eating from the ground up

My first carrot I can remember came straight out of the ground, dirt still clinging to the sides. I pulled it out of the garden myself, rinsed it off with the hose and munched on it as I browsed the rest of Grandpa’s lush garden for other tasty snacks.

My sister and I would spend hours hanging out under the cherry tree, watching him tend to his garden. He was a man of few words but so much love for his garden and family. He’d send us with a box full of fruit or vegetables to deliver to Grandma for canning. She would stock the cellar with enough treasures to last the family through the winter. I’d look forward to our visits, knowing she’d pull out a couple jars filled with sweet juicy plums or, my favorite, raspberries in rosy red syrup.

I feel fortunate to have had these experiences, to know the joys of fresh, home-grown fruits and garden vegetables. Some folks only know the taste of grocery store produce, or, even worse, canned, overcooked versions. I’d hate veggies too, if that was my introduction to them.

In working with urban kids in Los Angeles, I’d often hear they hated vegetables. One kid swore he would never eat a carrot as we planted the seeds to grow our own. After tending to our … Continue Reading

Summer stirs Walla Walla Valley produce passion

Summer is in full swing in the Walla Walla Valley, and with it comes a variety of tasty locally-grown produce. Ever since I was a child growing up in Maple Valley I’ve looked forward to this time of year, not only for the break from school, but foraging for blackberries in overgrown back alleys and blueberries off bushes between my grandma’s house and her neighbor.

The bushes belonged to the neighbor and I was told over and over that I should ask before picking, but how could I resist plucking those luscious plump purple berries, sweet and warm from the summer heat? Popping them into my mouth, one-by-one, I’d savor each morsel. Filling my cupped hands with as many as I could carry, they would be empty when I got home. Luckily there was always tomorrow to pick more.

Summer also brings a delicious spectrum of vegetables at their prime. Nothing compares to a freshly harvested tomato, with that sweet earthy scent of vine still lingering and sweet juiciness. After your first taste of one of these vine-ripened beauties it’s hard to look at off-season, tasteless, grainy grocery tomatoes the same again. In our family, we can’t wait for … Continue Reading