We're finally seeing locally grown apricots and raspberries. But how about buying apriums, or seeking out tayberries?
Basil and cilantro and mint are all sprouting in the sunshine. So are shiso and lovage.
Summer, even 2008's odd version, is a prime time to explore the edible playground provided by our region's lesser-known vegetables, fruits and herbs. At the least, taking a flyer on a nonmainstream ingredient can spice up the dinnertime routine. At best, it can introduce a new favorite to anticipate each year as the seasons change.
Both happened to me the year I joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program, in which farmers provide a weekly box of whatever's been harvested from their fields. The mysterious bundles packed along with my expected tomatoes and peaches included the likes of sorrel, whose piercingly sour, lemony taste immediately become a bracing addiction. A new world of tender young beets also opened up, with golden and candy-striped varieties coloring my plate, and topped by greens so fresh they could be cooked as a vegetable in their own right. The CSA taught me to appreciate fava beans (beyond "The Silence of the Lambs") and to admire the mild flavor of garlic scapes, the curly shoots that grow from hardneck garlic. (Visit a farmers market this week to nab the last of the current crop, and add them to any stir-fry.)
But it doesn't require a CSA to throw yourself into the new ingredients fray. It's as elemental as picking up a strange item at a well-stocked supermarket or farmers market and asking, "What do I do with this?" Most growers have answers.
"We feel like it's part of our job, not just to grow (produce) but also to re-educate folks about vegetables that are new to them, and to help people have fun and experiment in the kitchen," said Kia Kozun of Sequim-based Nash's Organic Produce, which hands out recipe cards along with vegetables as common as cauliflower, and provides weekly tips for using, storing and cooking whatever is new.
Reading through cookbooks -- and gardening -- are other paths to inspiration. I purchased a perennial shiso plant from the Willie Greens market stand after seeing the leafy herb in one too many Donna Hay cookbooks. Lovage, with its deep, leafy, celerylike taste, went into my planting box after Herbfarm veteran Jerry Traunfeld wrote enticing recipes calling its flavor irreplaceable. Planting extra rows of peas yielded tender young vines for tasty sautés. (Many Hmong farmers bring pea vines to the farmers markets throughout July, noted Judy Bennett of Rockridge Farms.)
For more ideas, I turned to a stellar seasonal resource we have in Seattle -- cooking instructor Becky Selengut, an Herbfarm alum who runs Seasonalcornucopia.com, a guide and timeline to Northwest seasonal goods. Here's some advice on interesting finds from Selengut and from others on the farm-fresh frontlines. (Seasonal information is at seasonalcornucopia.com.)
Shiso
Also known as perilla, this big, leafy member of the mint family has "the brightness of cilantro" and the refreshing, palate-cleansing properties of mint, along with its own indefinably unique taste, Selengut said. (Some say it has cinnamon overtones, others think of curry.)
Don't throw it into a salad -- the taste won't mesh well -- but it has "a great affinity for fish," especially fatty fish. In Japanese restaurants it might be wrapped into rolls or used to top sashimi. It also marries well with fruit, and could be minced with plums, nectarines, lime juice and jalapeño in a sort of "alternative salsa." Selengut also combines it with lime and melon to make a colorful and unusual sorbet (recipe follows).
Uwajimaya is a good source for shiso if you don't frequent the farmers markets. Green shiso is used for most recipes; a few call for red shiso, which also provides the coloring in Japanese pickled plums.
Season: June to September
Sorrel
Look for lemony sorrel leaves at markets that carry generous, inexpensive bunches near the salad greens, not a few parsimonious stalks pressed into plastic herb boxes next to the oregano and thyme.
Selengut uses sorrel "anywhere you would use spring herbs," and noted that it works especially well torn into a mixed salad.
"You hardly need vinegar in your dressing," she said, if there's sorrel in it. It also works well as a flavor substitute for locavores who focus on eating items grown near home and miss their citrus.
Pureed sorrel soup is a classic dish, and sorrel "loves fish," Selengut said, and is a particularly good match for salmon.
Season: March to November
Porcini
Also known as cepes or King boletus, these wild mushrooms are practically a meat substitute; when grilled they're known as poor man's steak. They can be used in some of the same ways as domestic portobellos, but Selengut, who just returned from a foraging trip, rated them as leagues beyond.
Porcini have "the same awesome meatiness" as portobellos, she said, but they also provide a savory, earthy flavor, and a wonderful texture that's toothsome on the outside but creamy and delicate within.
Star local forager Jeremy Faber likes tossing porcini in oil and marjoram and roasting them until golden brown. A downside to eating foraged goods, though, is their random availability. Last week's blast of heat withered local supplies. If you find them, grab them. If not, dried porcini are readily available. Even a few, when rehydrated, will boost flavors when added to soups and stews calling for plain button or cremini mushrooms.
Season: Mid-May to July, with a fall season September-October
Fava beans
Fava beans generally taste great in salads, stir-fries and soups, said Kia Kozun of Nash's, and they can be pureed with garlic to make a tasty hummus-like spread. (At a potluck last week, I tasted a lovely preparation of shelled favas strewn in a salad of soft butter lettuce and mint.)
Kozun's tip for fava success? Don't listen to people who insist on the tedious process of peeling the skin off each bean after it's shelled. "That's way too much work," she said, and it isn't necessary unless the beans are old.
"If you get any good fresh favas at a market, and buy them right from a farmer, you definitely don't need to peel them. I love them just popping right out of the shell," she said. "We try to make recipes and cooking fun and easy for people. When you say, 'Here's a fava bean. You've never heard of it. And now you have to do all this intricate stuff to prepare it,' it turns people off."
Season: Typically April to June but still available
Tayberries
Try this firm, attractive cross between a raspberry and a wild blackberry both raw and cooked. It has a tiny core that turns off some people who sample it raw, but others say the uncooked berry is "the best thing they've ever had," said Susan Schuh, who sells tayberries at the University District, Lake City and Phinney farmers markets.
"It's a wonderful berry," she said, "with kind of a lingering aftertaste," which makes for a great cobbler or shortcake or jam. Schuh Farms, based in Mount Vernon, picks the berries when they still have a hint of red on them, which Schuh said is at their peak. "If they get real black they have a whole different flavor."
If you find you prefer the flavor of the darker-colored version, be aware that you need to eat them quickly; they don't keep well once they're black. They're also known as bumbleberries.
Season: July to August
Apriums
This cross-breed favors its apricot father more than its plum mom, and can be used virtually interchangeably in recipes with apricots. It comes into season earlier than most apricot varieties, and "the main difference is that it doesn't have any fuzz like a standard apricot would have," said Greg McPherson of Tiny's Organic Produce, who farms apriums and other fruits on his Wenatchee orchard to sell at Seattle-area markets.
The cold snap in mid-April destroyed many crops, he said, including three of his four apricot varieties, but the apriums made it through. The flavor seems even better than in years past, he said. He thinks apriums hit the sweet spot of our palates in the same way a Pink Lady apple does, finding just the right balance between acids and sugars.
Season: July to October
GNOCCHI IN SORREL SAUCE
SERVES 2 AS A MAIN DISH, 4 AS A SIDE
* 1 16-ounce package prepared gnocchi
* Splash of olive oil
* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
* 1 small shallot, minced
* 1/2 cup white wine
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1 packed cup chopped sorrel
* 1/4 cup chopped parsley
* Sea salt to taste
* Freshly ground pepper to taste
* Good-size pinch of chopped fresh chives
* Handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Bring a big pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook the gnocchi until they float to the surface. Drain, toss with a splash of olive oil, and set aside.
In a large saucepan, heat the butter and add the shallot and cook 2 to 3 minutes, then add the white wine and cook until the wine has reduced by half. Add the cream and continue cooking for 5 minutes at medium-high heat.
Puree sorrel and parsley in a blender along with hot cream mixture until everything is incorporated; the sauce turns jade green in color. Pour sauce back into pan along with the gnocchi just to heat through, and season with salt and pepper. Serve in warm bowls with chives and Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
From "The Washington Local and Seasonal Cookbook," by Becky Selengut, Jennifer Sayers Bajger and James Darcy
A VERSATILE RECIPE FOR THE HEARTY GREENS YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH
SERVES 2 TO 4
* 1 bunch hearty greens
* Toasted sesame oil
* Good-quality soy sauce
* Furikake or toasted sesame seeds
NOTE: Don't throw away the lovely greens attached to fresh turnips, beets, kohlrabi and other farm-fresh veggies. When fresh (not weather-beaten or wilted), any of them make for an easy, tasty and nutritious side dish. Plain kale works in this recipe too.
Tear the leaves from their tough ribs and stems. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the leaves and boil until tender, 1 to 3 minutes, depending on the type of greens.
Drain the greens in a colander and push on them to remove as much water as possible.
Roughly chop the cooked greens and place them on a serving plate. Sprinkle lightly with sesame oil and soy sauce; toss to coat. (There is no set quantity for these ingredients because it will depend on the type of greens you use. Add the seasonings sparingly and taste until you get a flavorful blend.) Sprinkle with the furikake and serve as a side dish or salad.
NOTE: Furikake, a Japanese condiment made from sesame seeds, nori seaweed and sea salt, is available in well-stocked markets or Asian groceries. You can substitute toasted sesame seeds and a sprinkle of sea salt.
From "The Farm to Table Cookbook" by Ivy Manning
HALIBUT BAKED WITH LEEKS, APPLE AND LOVAGE
SERVES 4
* 3 medium leeks (about 2 1/4 pounds untrimmed)
* 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 3/4 cup dry white wine
* 1 1/2 cups unfiltered apple cider or apple juice
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 large tart apple, such as Granny Smith, Jonagold or Braeburn
* 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh lovage
* 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
* freshly ground black pepper
* 1 1/2 to 2 pounds skinless halibut fillet, or other medium-firm flaky fish such as salmon, sea bass or snapper
* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
Cut off and discard the tops of the leeks at the point they turn from light to dark green. Split the bottom portion lengthwise in half, keeping the roots attached so that the layers will not fall apart. Rinse thoroughly. Cut the leeks into 3-inch lengths, discard the roots, then slice each section into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large (4-quart) saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring often, until they are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and cook until most of the liquid evaporates. Add the apple cider and salt and gently boil uncovered until the leeks cook down further and the liquid evaporates down to below the level of the leeks in the pan, about 10 minutes.
Peel, core and cut the apple into 1/4-inch cubes and stir it into the leek mixture along with the lovage. Stir in the vinegar, taste, and season with pepper and additional salt if necessary. (The ragout can be made ahead up to this point. Let it sit on the back of the stove for up to 2 hours or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Trim any dark gray flesh from the skin side of the halibut fillets and check for and remove any stray bones. Cut the fillet into 4 equal pieces and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
Reheat the leek ragout on the stove until it simmers, then pour it into an ungreased 12-by-9-inch shallow baking dish. Arrange the fish fillets on top of the hot ragout and press them down so that their sides are submerged in the mixture but their tops are not covered by it. Cut a piece of parchment paper slightly larger than the baking dish and smear it with the softened butter. Press it, butter side down, directly on the fish. Bake the fish until it is milky, firm and just barely translucent at the inside center, 10 to 15 minutes. It's best to under-bake the fish slightly because it will continue to cook once the dish is removed from the oven. Bring the dish to the table. Use a spatula to serve the fish fillets and then spoon some of the ragout and the sauce over each piece.
From "The Herbfarm Cookbook," by Jerry Traunfeld
LIME SHISO SORBET
SERVES 6 TO 8
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 10 tablespoons sugar
* 10 shiso leaves, 1 reserved for garnish
* 1/2 cup lime juice
* Zest from 1/2 of a lime
* 2 cups fresh melon, cut into small cubes
Make a simple syrup by bringing water, sugar and shiso leaves to a boil. Once syrup is clear, turn off heat, cover pot and let the shiso infuse into the syrup for 10 minutes. Strain out the shiso leaves and discard. Add lime juice to sugar syrup. Chill completely.
Take out a few tablespoons of sorbet mixture and toss with melon cubes. Add chopped shiso and lime zest and reserve melon mixture for garnish.
Freeze sorbet in ice cream machine according to the machine's directions. When ready to serve, spoon some melon mixture over the top of each scoop.
From Becky Selengut
RESOURCES
Here are some resources on lesser-known fruits, vegetables and herbs of the Northwest:
# To find out when ingredients should be in season in the Northwest, check out seasonalcornucopia.com. Be aware that 2008's wacky weather has delayed some crops and shortened some seasons.
# For ideas on how to cook new ingredients, ask the "Chef In Residence" from 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays at the University District Farmers Market. Local food consultant Jeff Bergman will be at the market this Saturday.
# More information on Community Supported Agriculture programs and a list of farms offering them in the Seattle area are available at pugetsoundfresh.org (click the CSA link).
# Look at locally focused cookbooks for more recipes using Northwest ingredients. "The Farm to Table Cookbook" by Ivy Manning includes recipes from local restaurants such as Lark and Tilth, and provides good advice on selecting and storing eclectic produce. Becky Selengut co-wrote "The Washington Local and Seasonal Cookbook," which highlights local farmers and producers. Jerry Traunfeld's "The Herbal Kitchen" is packed with straightforward, fast, and reliably fabulous recipes; recipes in his "Herbfarm Cookbook" are more time-consuming but worth the work.
