[video]
Refrigeratorsoupmag.com will be the new home of JOFRSEA. Pardon the transitional “virtual mess” during this process. Thank you for all your support!
“Best Role Model for Cooking with Kids” — It’s such an honor to be included in Seattle Magazine’s Best Of 2010 (Dec.) issue. I started this project to encourage families to cook together and it’s flattering to be recognized. But there is much more work to be done.
I am in the midst of creating some cooking classes for winter. My friend — and great photographer — Clare Barboza has offered the use of her studio kitchen for classes. I will post info on those classes soon. Thank you all for your support.
Fall is the time for apples and pears. You can easily make a pie using either fruit. You can add some berries, raisins, dried cranberries, even nuts to add some other flavors and textures.
4 Granny Smith apples (or the equivalent of your favorite apple variety)
1 tablespoon butter plus more for the tortillas
¼ cup sugar (or to taste, depending on how sweet the apple is)
1 ½ tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
¼ cup apple juice or water, as needed
Flour tortillas (6-inch size)
Powdered sugar and cinnamon for garnish, if desired
Peel and core the apples. Cut them into ¼-inch slices. Toss the apples with sugar, flour, cinnamon, allspice. In a pan, melt the 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the apples and cook for about 5 minutes, or until soft. While the apples cook down, if it looks like you need a little more moisture, add the ¼ cup water or juice. When the apples are soft (but not mushy) and thickened, remove from heat. Set aside.
Fill each tortilla with some of the apple mixture and fold in half like a taco. In a skillet, melt a little butter over medium heat. Add the pie and brown on each side, about 1-2 minutes per side, depending on how hot your pan is. Dust with powdered sugar and cinnamon, if desired.
[video]
Community happenings:
Daniel Bagley Elementary in Greenwood has been building a garden for and with the students to teach them about the earth-to-table process. Next week (9/20-9/24) is Garden Week. Among the scheduled activities are “Move the Mountain” work party on 9/22 at 6 p.m. and an Apple Social on 9/24. Eric Boutin, the new Nutrition Services Director for Seattle Public Schools, will make an appearance. For a more information and a full schedule of events — including volunteer opportunities — please visit DB’s site.
Taste Washington Day is part of WSDA’s Farm to School Program and takes place on 9/29. More than 60 schools and 50 farms throughout Washington have agreed to participate. On 9/29, these schools will serve meals that use ingredients sourced from local farms. For a full list of schools and farms, visit this link.
Pike Place Market Artisan Food Festival takes place 9/25-9/26. It’s two days of celebrating handmade foods and crafts, and local producers. Slow Food Seattle will be hosting programming at its booth on both days, including a conversation about School-Food Revolution led by Hsiao-Ching Chou (of JOFRSEA) and Eric Boutin, Nutrition Services Director for Seattle Public Schools. This discussion will take place on 9/25 at noon at the Slow Food Seattle booth.
Cooking Classes for WIC:
I was contacted by a nutritionist at the Snohomish Health District who asked me to create a series of basic cooking classes for WIC - Women, Infants and Children - program clients in Everett and Lynnwood. My goal for the students is to offer them simple recipes that are also flexible. So a recipe for toast with cheese and berries could be made with any bread, any spreadable cheese (farmer’s cheese, ricotta, cream cheese, etc.) and whatever the seasonal berry is.
It was heartening to hear the moms say that they liked the toast and then to get questions about specific ingredients. The lesson was imparted and the response was instant. We also made Vietnamese salad rolls. Once the moms saw how easy it is to make, they all were eager to go buy the wrappers for the rolls so that they can make the recipe at home. They also were excited to sign up for upcoming classes. It’s so cool!
Laura had the fun idea of having the kids whip cream by shaking jars of cream with marbles in them. The marbles took the place of a whisk. The kids loved it!
Thanks to Grand Central Baking Co. for sending Gabby and Laura to Queen Anne Farmers Market on Aug. 5 to teach the kids how to make a trifle. They used cupcakes, which were easy for the kids to cut into pieces. They layered the cake with fresh berries from Hayton Farms and fresh whipped cream.