By Chris Peterson
For the Gazette-Times | Posted: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:00 am
It's the time of year I both dread and love. The kitchen island is a red lake of tomatoes, drainers cradle berries, produce of every color and flavor line up by steaming jars and lids.
The canner and food dehydrator rarely cool down for weeks. Time to hang a shoe horn by the freezer and map the contents.
So far this year, no one has said, "Why go to all that trouble when it's so cheap at the grocery store?" I wonder why. Even when it's cheaper, store-bought never approaches home- or locally-grown quality.
You don't even have to grow it yourself. We live in small-farm nirvana and can get just about anything in canning/preserving quantity. I'm not the only gardener who relies on local growers when my own crops are disappointing. The more we do that, the healthier our local economy - and us - becomes.
Tomatillos (Toe-ma-TEE-yos)
These curious green mini-tomatoes with papery husks are native to Mexico and are the foundation of salsa verde (green sauce) enjoyed in Mexican restaurants and recipes. Choose ones that are firm and green. You can boil them to make salsa, but I've discovered the salsa doesn't separate after freezing if you roast them instead. It also brings out their natural sweetness, which is a great contrast to the peppers, onion and cilantro that round out the salsa. Serve with chips or layer it in Mexican dishes. Making it yourself lets you determine how picante it will be by the chili peppers you choose.
Peppers
The only bad thing about peppers this time of year is you know they'll soon be just a memory. Such stunners one finds at the farmers market! Colors so rich and varied you can create recipes around pepper hues alone. The reds have been especially sweet. I slice them thin into a green bean salad with Swiss cheese and cilantro vinaigrette. It's as pretty as it is tasty. Raw red bell peppers have all the vitamin A you need in a day and twice the vitamin C. B-vitamins, fiber and several minerals are tucked in there, too. Besides those nutrients, hot peppers also have the capsaisum, which not only packs the heat, but is an anti-inflammatory that some swear helps relieve arthritis.
Join a local cook-off
Enough talk about local foods, it's time to strut your culinary stuff! Ten Rivers Food Web invites you to enter their First Seasonal Local Foods Cook-Off with a cold main dish salad or dessert. Entries are limited to 35 (out of respect for our judges!). You must register by Sept. 29 for the contest, which is scheduled for 1 p.m. Oct. 5 at the First Alternative Co-op Meeting Room by the south Corvallis Store at 1007 S.E. Third St.
Judges each season will be local farmers, chefs and community personalities. Prizes include gift certificates to local restaurants and a culinary gift basket. For details or to register, see www.tenriversfoodweb.org or call 929-4167. Remember: produce isn't the only local food!
Fresh Sheet alerts readers to the seasonal foods that make the mid-Willamette Valley such a rich culinary area. Through tips from farmers, ranchers, fishers, cheese-makers and other food producers, as well as chefs and restaurateurs, Chris Peterson tracks what's flowing from soil and sea to local plates. Readers can contact her at localfood@peak.org.