Knowing where my food is grown is intensely satisfying. If I haven't grown it myself, I like to look at the person who did grow it and have a conversation. Though not always practical, I do engage in this behavior as much as possible.
Yesterday I went to my first Portland Farmer's Market. There are markets nearly every day, at various locations in the city, and I had missed a really good one Wednesday at People's Food Coop (which has a year-round farmer's market. Year-round!!!). So I got my ass out of Haven, the Stumptown-coffee-serving queer-friendly coffeeshop where I'd been working at my computer and headed over to 20th and Salmon. The market was mellow. It was friendly. Beautiful dready mamas telling me about the fingerling potatoes with a slight southern twang and easy smiles. A kindly old man telling me about the Red Bartlett pears, wagging his finger, telling me to "eat 'em up soon! They're ready!" I got the most beautiful berries, pears, peaches, beets, corn, fingerlings. Freezing the fruit, envisioning the sorbet and smoothies and fruit sauces I'll make all year, was a welcomed Farmer's Market Day chore last night.
As one who has been trying to minimize the plastic in my immediate world, especially in my kitchen, I'm wondering how to freeze or otherwise store my fruit without the use of plastics? Canning might be an option, but I try to minimize my sugar intake and all my experience with canning has required using sugar.
Here's a little video of my new apartment ...
And a tour of the yard outside my new place:
And here's my current reminder/intention board. You know, in case you thought I'd become a suit or something crazy like that:
Just for kicks I thought somebody out there might like a shot of my blackberried tongue. No? I'm wrong? Nobody wants to see my black tongue?
1 comment:
You can actually freeze in bell canning and freezing jars. Most of the canning jars are safe for freezing, if you make sure that you leave plenty of head room for expansion. Or, alternately, you can freeze individual fruits and quartered tomatoes on cookie sheets and then transfer them to airtight plastic containers (bought used, of course) or the glass jars. Freezing on the cookie sheet makes it easier to portion them out as they won't be all stuck together.
I also freeze tofu in 1 inch cubes like this. When they thaw their texture is stiffer and spongier, I think they hold up better to sauteeing, plus one block will last me for several meals without my worrying that it's going to go bad in my fridge before I make my way through it...
Lordy, I can't believe it's been so long since I checked your blog... tomorrow at work I'll be looking at the videos and the thoughtful pieces below...
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