The Bayview Farmers Market in October: A Lively Affair

It was a beautiful day for the market! Sun shining and a chilly breeze on the 11th of October. Lots of vendors showed up to sell their farm produce and crafts. I like the eclectic variety that can be found at the Bayview Farmer's Market, from the art to the produce to the soup and sprouted nuts, there is a lot to choose from!

Fruit Tarts and coffee

Fresh baby beets and beet greens. The beet greens are wonderful, they taste like spinach and are wonderful in soup, stir fry, or salad. Also try the greens baked in polenta!

Peaches and a lot of other fruit at the market: plums, apples, pears, and more!

And of course: Tomatoes!

Sprouted beans and nuts sold at this booth

Beautiful hand knit scarves, the colors were so inspiring . . .

hand made wreaths

Mr. Mobley's soup and sauce! If you haven't tried the tahini sauce, it's a must. Great on rice, vegetables, salad, and more (or so I've heard). Check him out at: http://mrmobleys.wordpress.com/

A variety of flowers to choose from or oogle at (like me)

More sprouted nuts, seeds, and beans, as well as other farm produce and baked goods

Chicken Sausage and Pinto Bean Soup

Yes, we still need warm & hearty soups here in the pacific northwest!! Brrrrrrr, it has been wet-cold for the last week with pretty much non-stop rain. This is good soup to make when you want to surprise your friends with a dinner. The recipe makes a lot of soup and it is a lot of fun to share it . . .


The Vegetables:
2/3 medium sized butternut squash: pealed, seeded and chopped small
1 onion, chopped
6 carrots, chopped
7 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups of chard or spinach chopped into 1" squares or smaller

The Other Stuff:
sprig of: rosemary, thyme, parsley and 2 bay leaves
4 TBS soy sauce or tamari

The Protein:
3 cups dry pinto beans soaked 6-8 hours
4 chicken sausages (or more if you like)
1-2 whole chickens, leftover from a dinner (ie: most of the meat is gone and bones remain) to make soup stock. You can freeze these used bones and take them out for these occasions.

• Cook the chicken bones in a 6-quart pan with 5 quarts of water for 3-4+/- hours. The goal is flavor and nutrient rich soup stock. I put the soup pan on the stove top on a low simmer early in the day and just let it cook while I go about my day. Then around 4-5pm I start the rest of the soup.

• Add the soaked pinto beans and "other stuff" (rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, parsley) and cook for another hour.

• Make sure the pinto beans are soft, but still well-formed before adding the vegetables. Add the chopped vegetables, except for the onion and the chard/spinach.

• Cook the onion and sausages in a separate pan with some olive oil until the sausage is hard enough to cut into rounds. Make sure the pinto beans and vegetables are all soft (done) before you add the sausage to the soup. Cut sausage into rounds and add it and the onion to the soup.
  
• Turn off the heat and add tamari, and 10-15 minutes before serving add 2 cups of chard or spinach and sprinkle parsley over the top. The heat from the soup will cook/soften the greens, but they will also retain their brilliant color as long as they are not over-cooked.
  

Serve with baked polenta, or all by itself! This is a complete meal in one bowl.

Healthy Tuna - Noodle Casserole

I remember rich and cheesy tuna and noodle casseroles as a child. This is just as good, and it has lots of vegetables, as well as fresh tomatoes and parsley. I like to make this dish when I want to have two dinners made in a row. I make enough to feed a family of 3 to 4 for two big meals. Add a green salad or an easy chard stir fry and it is complete!

You'll want:
2 - 16 oz packages of brown rice (or wheat) penne pasta (I get these from Trader Joe's)
2 - 14 oz cans of cream of mushroom soup, I use Health Valley brand because it is wheat-free and has fewer additives than the other brands in my local grocery store
4 cups of chopped chard and/or kale
3 cloves garlic
3/4 cup grated white sharp cheese
3/4 cup grated yellow jack cheese
3 cans of tuna, drained
1 large tomato chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (approximation)

The Noodles:
Cook according to directions, strain out water, then return noodles to pan and add 1 TBS olive oil and stir. Fill 2 - 9" pie pans with noodles and pour sauce over the top (see "Sauce" recipe below). There will probably be some extra noodles left over.

The Sauce:
Heat frying pan on medium with 1 TBS butter. When lightly sizzling, add garlic and stir for 10 seconds or so and then add chard and kale (chopped small, one inch squares or so). Turn temperature down slightly then cover for one minute. Add 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup and 3 cans of tuna. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Pour over noodles in two 9 inch pie pans.

The Pie:
Now you have noodles and sauce in pie pans. Sprinkle grated cheeses over pies evenly. Sprinkle chopped parsley and fresh tomatoes.

Now put the pie you want to eat tonight in the oven on broil until cheese is melted to your liking, and serve. You can save the other pie for tomorrow or freeze it. Or surprise a friend with dinner.