Monday

Fall Salads

It was with some sadness that I harvested the last of the edible flowers for salad deliveries this morning, it's a sure sign of summer's end. On the other hand, we have a wealth of hearty winter greens coming in, and one of the advantages of salads made with spinach, Bok Choi, kale and other winter greens is that you can enjoy them hot or cold!

Dark green leafy vegetables are considered one of the most nutrient-dense foods available (on a calorie-for-calorie comparison). Specifically, they are an excellent source of minerals such as iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium; as well as vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. Additionally, leafy greens provide a number of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.
Cementing their place on the nutritional honor roll, recent research suggests that they can help prevent age-related cognitive declines, prevent cataracts and boost eye health, and may also reduce your risk of skin cancer!

Friday

A Bountiful Harvest

The Farmers Market was an embarrassment of riches this week, each booth overflowing with the most gorgeous produce! Apparently there are benefits to surviving a wicked-hot summer, and I have no doubt you will be able to taste the gifts of this bountiful harvest in the Hearty Garden Stew we will be delivering this week.
All of the ingredients in this weeks soup were grown within a 100 mile radius of Portland, by independent farmers who cherish the land they work on.
[Thanks to farmer ~and friend~ Neil Robinson for the lovely photo!]

Thursday

Upcoming Soups for Fall

Well, it seemed for a while there as though the summer heat would never subside, but gratefully it has, and the cool morning herald the change in season that will bring us, among other things, new selections of soups for the weekly Soup Subscriptions!
You can look forward to:


Creamy Butternut Squash
This is one of my all time favorite soups, and one of our families favorite Thanksgiving traditions. Infused with a great nutty flavor, and a generous sprinkling of ginger, I always make it when I'm expecting a crowd, and I NEVER have to worry about any being leftover! This soup is so wonderfully thick and creamy. Delightful hot or cold, and amazingly versatile, try it with a sprinkling of chives or with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream on top; for a little change of pace, it can even be served as a "sauce" over potatoes, chicken, or cooked rice for a super easy variation on the idea of risotto!




Compassionate Chili
. My friend Sarah named this recipe, both for the fact that it is vegetarian, and the fact that it is kind to your tongue! If you have given up this winter staple due to a low tolerance for spice, I invite you to try this mellower version that still offers all the hearty goodness of classic chili without the meat and with a fraction of the heat. Robust enough to be a meal in it's self, it is also the perfect addition to your favorite chili-burger recipe!



Potato Leek

A creamy conspiracy of several different varieties of heirloom onions, leeks, garlic and potatoes come together to give this soup layers of flavors while giving you a layer of defense against cold and flue season ~and vampires! Unlike the potato leek soups I had in England, this soup has been neither blended nor cooked to death, but rather allow it to retain some chunky goodness and quirky character that lets this soup hold it's own through an Oregon winter.



Hearty Garden Stew
, The perfect antidote for cold, rain soaked evenings! The specific veggies included in the recipe change over the course of the season in order to take full advantage of the best our local farmers have to offer; but it never fails to satisfy!





I may sneak a few other soup selections in, just to keep you on your toes, but this quartet of soups will sing us through winter.

Saturday

Simple Smoothies @ MCBF


I once again had the delightful privilege of whipping up organic smoothies, and bikey excitement, on my bike blender at the Multnomah County Bike Fair this weekend. Don't know how Shift manages to make each years fair better than the last (though I expect a certain amount of sleep deprivation, hair-pulling and fatigue are involved), but once again they did exactly that!
In addition to this great shot by Jonathan Maus of BikePortland, a day earlier I was photographed blending smoothies for Breakfast on the Bridges by non-other than National Geographic ~I must say I'm feeling just a touch exotic and notorious these days. If you are riding into town the last Friday of the month, stop off at the West end of the Hawthorne Bridge for a breakfast smoothie and a hot cup of joe!


*photo credit: the brilliant and talented Jonathan Maus of BikePortland

Sunday

The edible flowers in the garden are coming in so gorgeous, they're almost too pretty to eat ~almost. Nasturtiums add a touch of spice to salads, and their leaves have just the right amount of peppery zip.

The weather has helped to produce a bumper crop of tender young greens, making the salads especially good this week, and with luck, the figs will be ripe in time for this weeks salad mix. Be sure to get your order in early, they go fast!

Wednesday

Freezing & Heating Soups

The old school canning jars your Soup Subscriptions are delivered in are not just aesthetic, they are wonderfully functional and versatile as well:

To Freeze Your Soup Loosen lid before placing in freezer (yes, it's just that simple)

To Heat Your Soup Remove lid and place jar in a pan of water; heat water while stirring soup; pour heated soup into bowl (the pan doesn't even get dirty!)

Jars are also Microwave safe, make sure to remove lid before placing in microwave!

Sunday

Summer Salads

You can now have soup and salad delivered to your door!
June ~ August I will be offering bagged salad mixes with soup delivery! Lettuce varieties included in the mix will rotate over the season, based on the freshest and most delectable offerings from the garden ~ including edible flowers on occasion! These organic greens can be enjoyed as-is, or you can adorn them with whatever finishing touches appeal to you.
Harvested the same day they are delivered, the Medium bag offers 2~3 servings.
The Medium Bag provides 2 dinner salads or 4 ~ 6 side salads ; the Large Bag offers 4 dinner salads or 7 ~ 8 side salads.

Summer Salad Mix
Large Bag $5
Medium Bag $3

Herb Vinaigrette Dressing $3 in reusable bottle.


Friday

NEW: Soup Subscriptions!

Perhaps you don't need a full-on cook service, maybe you just have one or two days a week where you would benefit from someone else choosing what to make ~without resorting to the drive through or vending machines.

Healthy, wholesome and naturally low fat, soup is a great solution. This little black dress of the culinary world can be dressed up or down to suit your needs: pour it into a thermos and you have lunch on the go; add salad or perhaps some left-overs, and you have a substantial evening meal.

Soups freeze well, so you can stock up if you like, and because the soup is offered at a "flat rate", it is as easy to fit a subscription into your budget as it is to slip the soup into your cup

Heres how it works:

  • Each week I select two soup recipes to make in bulk
  • The week's options are emailed to you well in advance, place your order by Friday afternoon for delivery the following Monday.
  • I simmer up the soups and "package" them in re-usable canning jars (quart or pint)
  • Your soup selections are delivered to you by bike on Monday ~what a great way to start the week!

Weekly Delivery
2 qts/$18 per week
2pts/ $10 per week

Wednesday

Whats a "community cook" ?

I have never cared for the title 'Personal Chef'. To me it sounds snooty and frivolous, like a member of a celebrity's entourage. I have a different vision for the role I want to play in the kitchen, and in the lives of my clients. Rather than indulging the uber-rich, I want to support busy people facing challenges like chaotic work schedules, the arrival of a new child, or mobility issues.

By focusing on simple, healthy recipes made in quantity from locally grown ingredients, I can provide wholesome, organic meals at a cost comparable to that of conventional convenience food. Chef service will save you time as well: freeing up an estimated 10-12 hours of your time that would otherwise be spent on menu planning, grocery shopping, cooking, and kitchen cleanup!

As an added bonus: because the ingredients are grown locally, and the meals delivered by bike, you are helping local farmers and our planet while helping yourself, what could be better than that?!

I look forward to talking with you about how community cook service can benefit you.