Whidbey Island Farmer's Market

The Farmer's market is a great place to find fresh and homemade food for recipes. Bayview Farmer's Market is a lot of fun. This year the market opened on Saturday, April 26th. There was music, fresh food, plant starts, crafts, art, and more . . . I am working on a project where I need many macro flower pics so this was a great oppurtunity to get some interesting photos. I am always interested in fresh food and I love finding it at the market to use in new recipes. It is a fun challenge. Not much fresh produce today though. I found a lot of plant starts for my garden instead. Watch for in-season recipes from the farmer's market in the future!

Marina and Stella

Pan-fried Salmon Burritos

This feeds a family of four. Great ingredients and lots of fresh vegetables!

The Salmon:
1 pound fresh or frozen wild salmon
1 white storage onion
1/4 cup white wine
1 TBS tamari (soy sauce)
2 TBS fresh cilantro

Heat a medium sized pan on medium heat with 1-2 TBS olive oil, add diced onions. Cook for 2 minutes. Add Salmon, skin side up, on top of the onions. cook for 4 minutes covered. Add white wine, cover and cook for 2 more minutes then flip salmon. Add tamari and cook until done. When done take skin off salmon and with a spatula break salmon up and mix with onions and juices. Add fresh cilantro and mix.

I like Lentils with the salmon burritos. Here's how I cook them: cook 1 cup lentils with 3 cups water and 1 chicken bouillon cube for 1 hour. Add 1 TBS tamari before serving.

Fresh ingredients:
1-2 Avocados, mash and add a tsp of fresh lime juice
Romain lettuce, cut very thin
1 tomato, diced
2 TBS cilantro, fresh and diced
1 cup grated sharp cheese
1/2 cup sour cream

Steam 100% corn tortillas in a bamboo steamer. When ready, serve corn tortillas with cheese, salmon saute, and lentils. Put fresh ingredients on the side and enjoy!

Split Pea and Artichoke Soup

I love adding artichokes to everything this time of the year when they are so readily available. The split peas give this soup a nice substance.

3 quarts of chicken stock (You can add boullion cubes to two quarts of water)
2-3 cups split peas
3 small or 1 big artichoke
6 small carrots
1 big leek or 2 small
1 zucchini
1 potato
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

I like to cook chicken bones in water for 3-4 hours to make my chicken stock.

Add artichokes to chicken stock before or after straining out bones. Artichokes, depending on their size, will take longer to cook than the other veggis, so take this into account. Take artichokes out when they are soft enough to eat. Serve them on the side.

In a separate pan, cook the split peas just covered in water, when almost done add to strained chicken stock.

Strain bones out of the chicken stock before adding veggis. Add the chopped carrots, sliced leek (include th green part), and chopped potato to the lightly boiling chicken stock and peas. When veggis are just about done add zucchini and garlic.
Serve with a glass of mild red wine and side salad

Birthday Corned Beef and Cabbage

My daughter Marina's birthday is on St. Patrick's day so we enjoy this Irish meal on her birthday to celebrate the occasion. We ordered extra corned beef this year and are still cooking it once every couple of weeks. Here's the recipe I like:

Brisket of corned beef (2-4 #) Ours come with herbs on top (chopped bay leaf, black pepper kernels, red peppers
1/2 head of green cabbage
4 carrots chopped in half

Put corned beef in large stew pot and cook for at least 3 hours at a slow boil. Four hours is good. Add carrots 35-45 minutes before serving and cabbage 15 minutes before serving.
Serve with crusty bread and/or side salad

Broccoli Scramble

Ahh, morning of April 14th. Tax day calls for a special scramble. An egg scramble with feta or sharp jack cheese grated on top. A little treat for a busy day.
For a family of 3:

6 eggs
1 head broccoli
1/4 cup grated sharp jack or crumbled sheep feta
salt and pepper to taste

Stir fry the broccoli (chopped small) until almost done to your liking then add scrambled eggs, cover and stir in a couple of minutes. I like my eggs soft and moist so I stir often. When done cooking eggs, sprinkle cheese on top and serve. Oh, and get to work on those tax forms!

Marina's Yummi Bear Sandwich or Chicken Parmesan Sandwich

My daughter Marina loves her supplement "Yummi Bears". So when I made her this chicken parmesan sandwhich she wanted it to have yummi bears in it. Yummi bears are like gummi bears except they are a vitamin, antioxidant and whole food supplement for kids. Fortunately when you make this sandwich you can leave the yummi bears on the side or, as in Marina's case, they will slip out as you are enjoying the sandwhich. Here is what you'll need:

3 Yummi Bears (you'll find them in health food stores, kid's supplement)
freshly grated Parmesan
Vegannaise (mayo alternative)
chicken (leftover or sliced meat)
Ezekiel bread (sprouted wheat) or other whole grain
diced romaine
diced tomato

Toast the Ezekiel bread with a thin layer of Vegannaise and a thicker layer of grated Parmesan until Parmesan is lightly browned and bread is soft to toasted. Spread mayo on other piece of bread and place chicken, tomatoes and romaine all on the bread. At this point you can put yummi bears on sandwich or on the side. Slice in half and serve.

Coconut-Infused Salmon and Artichokes

My favorite springtime recipe is artichokes and salmon. This is when you find artichokes in the grocery store around here and salmon is a great compliment to it. If you eat your artichokes first, they make everything taste sweet, WOW!
Here's what you'll need:
Begin by cooking Curry- Coconut rice:
Bring 2 1/2 cups water and 1/2 cup coconut milk and 1/2 tsp curry powder to boil
Add 2 cups brown rice
Turn heat to low, leave lid on rice until it is done.

While rice is cooking start the artichokes:
Cover 2 big artichokes 1/2 way with water in a large pan. Bring to boil, cover and cook on medium heat. Water should be visibly boiling. Artichokes are done when you poke a fork in at the top of the stem where the stem meets the leaves and it is a soft-firm feel like an apple or just softer. In other words you should be able to eat the center easily, but it should not be mushy. Artichokes can be left to cool down on a plate. When cooled, cut in half and scoop out the hairy center.

As the rice and artichokes cook prepare the salmon and stick it in the oven when the artichokes have been cooking for 20 minutes.
1# Salmon fillet
marinade: (marinate for 2-6 hours, or not at all!)
2 TBS olive oil
2 TBS soy sauce
8-10 oz can of coconut milk
Gently wash salmon and put it in an oven bake dish with a lid with the coconut marinade sauce. Splash the sauce onto the top of the salmon. Remember the lid! Put in oven at 350 degrees. Cook until fish is done.

Sauce for artichokes, to dip leaves in:
1/4 cup Vegannaise or mayonnaise
1-2 TBS soy sauce or tamari

Serve salmon on a bed of rice with some coconut sauce poured over it. Put artichoke on the side with a scoop of sauce. Yum!

Sunday Morning Egg & Kale Scramble

Easy, easy, easy!

You need: eggs, tender kale, and optional feta and pine nuts

For a family of four mix 6 eggs thoroughly. Dice fresh, young kale greens, put to the side. Heat a pan on medium with olive oil . Add kale and scrambled eggs at the same time, cover and turn heat down a notch or two. Give them a couple minutes and then stir frequenly to prevent the eggs from hardening too quickly. You want soft moist eggs and the kale should also be soft.

The eggs are great with a pinch of feta and some pine nuts. Both are completely optional. Enjoy with a cup of nettle-green tea (see recipes).

Energizing Green-Nettle Tea

Nettles are so much more than stinging! They are incredibly nutritious. I love making my own teas. Here is a great "wake up time" tea:

2TBS dried nettles
1 TBS green "gunpowder" tea

Add hot water and steep for 5-10 minutes, or until your desired taste. You'll feel energized for many hours and your body will be nourished. Makes 2-4 cups.

Why Polenta is so Great!

Polenta is corn grits, some brands are smooth textured and some are rough textured. I cook 3 cups of water to every one cup of polenta. Boil the water add polenta slowly while stirring. Stir for one minute or so. Dish into a pie dish or square baking pan. It's fun to put it in heart bowls or other unusual shapes. When it cools it will harden and you can take it out and bake it with cheese, tomatoes, etc.
I enjoy having polenta with a variety of meals. It is so basic that you can dress it up or down. You can hide yummy greens in it, like kale or chard. It is good with tomatoes, tomato sauce, and any cheese. I like Parmesan, sharp cheddar, and extra sharp cheddar sprinkled on the top and then baked for 20 minutes. You can use soup stock to replace the water in the recipe. Yum yum...
Here is an idea (but have your own fun with it too!):

1 cup diced chard
3 cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 cup corn polenta
1/2 cup Parmesan
1/2 cup sharp cheddar

Bring water and chicken bouillon cube to boil. Stir water until bouillon is dissolved. Turn heat to medium and slowly stir in polenta in. Beware of polenta spitting up hot bits at you as you stir, I use a lid to shield my hand. Add chard when polenta is thoroughly stirred. Cook for about one minute on low heat while stirring. Spoon into pie pan (you may need two). I make it about 1/2 inch thick. Add cheese to the top. Enjoy when it has cooled. You can bake it later for another meal.

Golden Creamy Coconut Rice

This rice adds a wonderful fragrance and flavor to meals. Here it is:

2 cups jasmin rice (or if you prefer brown rice or mixed rice use that just add a little bit more water.
2 cups water
1 cup coconut milk
1-2 tsp tumeric, optional (adds a beautiful yellow color to rice and is a healthy addition)

Heat water, coconut milk, and tumeric on high. When the mixture boils add rice and stir. Turn heat to low-medium, so that it is lightly boiling. You should be able to leave the pan's lid on without it boiling over. Let the rice cook covered until done. Try to limit the number of times that you peek inside. The steam really helps cook this rice and keeps it soft and fluffy.

Garlic Halibut Saute with Steamed Broccoli

You will need:
a halibut steak of any size
4-5 garlic cloves
Soy Sauce, Braggs Liquid Aminos or Tamari
2-3 TBS olive oil
1-2 heads of broccoli

Add olive oil to (preferably) a cast iron pan on medium heat. Add Halibut steak to the pan, skin side down. Put garlic cloves through a garlic press or chop finely. Add all the garlic to the top of the halibut. After a couple of minutes add 3-6 TBS soy sauce to the pan. Leave a lid over the halibut so the steam can keep the fish moist as it cooks. Turn halibut over when there is only a few minutes of cooking remaining and add broccoli. I use my cooking intuition to know when the fish is done. You may choose to check it periodically to determine you desired level of "done." I prefer that the broccoli is lightly cooked and still crunchy. I just cooked this dish yesterday and I overcooked the broccoli so that it was very soft, and it was really quite delicious, as it took on the flavor of the fish, soy sauce, and garlic. So I'm sure you will enjoy this meal either way!

I serve this fish with any of the following:
Polenta, green salad, or coconut rice; the latter of which is particularly good (see my postings for recipe).

Green Kale and Lemon Salad

I have a lot of over-wintering kale in my garden. As the weather has warmed up tender green leaves have emerged and they make a wonderfully delicate and mild salad. The lemon dressing is just the right complement to the kale.

Dice as much kale as you and your family want to eat, then toss with this dressing. You will most likely have extra dressing left over.

Dressing:
3 TBS fresh lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
5 TBS olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1-2 TBS honey (optional)

Red Stroller Pasta

After a hour of errands in town and an hour of my car's lights on, my car would not start. My daughters and I filled up our red stroller with groceries and walked home. This began my process of creating this rich red pasta sauce. I like to pair the pasta sauce with a quinoa-corn noodle blend. This is an easy and quick recipe!

36 oz tomato sauce
1 medium onion
2 TBS olive oil
4 cloves garlic
10-15 mushrooms
4 TBS red table wine
1# ground turkey or 1# your choice sausage
several pinches of fresh or dried thyme
salt or tamari to taste

Saute onion with olive oil on medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms to onion when onion is softened. Add red wine to mushroom-onion when mushroms are softened. Cook for 1 more minute then add to lightly boiling tomato sauce. Add turkey or sausage meat in small balls (or sliced, in the case of the sausage) to tomato sauce. Start cooking noodles of your choice.

Serve pasta sauce with thyme on the top or side and a green salad. Pour yourself a glass of red wine and enjoy!

Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies: wheat and gluten free

A wheat and gluten-free treat! These are fun to make with friends or kids.

Mix together:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cane sugar
1/2 cup butter (melted or at room temp)

Add these ingredients to sugar-butter mixture:
2 eggs
1 TBS vanilla
1 TBS milk, or alternative

Mix in separate bowl:
2 cups of Quinoa flakes*, can substitute 1/2 cup for Quinoa flour
1 cup whole oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 to 1 1/2 cups walnuts

Mix sugar/butter mixture with Quinoa flake mixture. Place dough on oiled cookie sheet in balls, they will melt down into cookies, unless you use a lot of Quinoa flour, in which case you can make them into cookie shape. Cook until lightly browned. Enjoy with a cup of milk and good company!

*Quinoa flakes are sold in health food type stores as a quick breakfast cereal

Walnut Sardine Salad

Lots of healthy oils, and very satisfying for a salad.

Small handful of walnuts
1 can of skinless boneless sardines
several pinches of sheep or other feta
Romain and Red-leaf lettuce, equally mixed
Salad dressing, my preference is Annie's Goddess Dressing

Toss salad with dressing and place sardines on the side or top of salad.

Happy Baby Tea

A fulfilling tea for the whole family. Great for increasing breast milk production and loaded with nutrients. Especially easy to make this time of the year in the pacific northwest, as you can pick your own nettles and dry them yourself. Calming and nutritious!


You'll need:
Big tea pot and tea strainer
3 TBS nettles (dried)
1 TBS fennel seed
1 TBS chamomile
Let the tea sit and soak for 1-2 hours or overnight. It is especially good when still hot. Mother's can enjoy 1-3 times a day, but beware that it may increase you milk flow too much. Enjoy without sugar due to the naturally sweet taste of fennel.

Sweet Artichoke Chicken Soup

For a sweetness that lingers in your mouth, try this recipe. It is nourishing and delicious!

4small artichokes
4 quarts of chicken stock (make by boiling 1-2 leftover whole chickens for 3-6 hours on low, strain out bones
2 cups soaked lentils
1 onion diced
2 small zucchinis, sliced small
4 carrots cut small
4 stalks celery cut small
4 or more cloves garlic (press through a garlic press of dice small)
several handfuls of diced kale
salt to taste
Add artichokes and lentils to lightly boiling chicken soup stock. In 10 minutes add carrots, celery, onion. When the artichokes are soft enough to easily stick a fork through the base, take them out and serve on the side. When carrots are softened add zucchinis and garlic. In five minutes add diced kale and salt to taste.
Artichokes are excellent with this dipping sauce:
1/4 cup vegetable oil mayonaise
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce, tamari or braggs liquid aminos

Serve soup with with polenta, feta, and a green salad.