I was half way through my book and a dozen blog posts in when I decided to take a little jump. I wrote a few pitch letters with the idea of building soup from whatever the heck you have in your pantry. I expanded even further. I pitched my idea to the West Seattle Herald and said, “Hey, I can make soup from whatever I find fresh at the West Seattle Farmers Market.” They said, “Sounds great! Can’t wait to see the finished piece.”

I went to the farmers market and I sought out in-season ingredients and I came up with this surprisingly delicious soup. I wrote the recipe, I wrote the article, and I took the photographs. I submitted the words and pictures to the Herald and they posted it on westseattleherald.com, on the home page… for an entire 24 hours! It was not Bon Appetit, Sunset Magazine, or Food & Wine, but it was mine, for a moment. A reason to keep on doing exactly what I’m doing: mixing, baking, making, writing, photographing, experiencing, sharing, inspiring.

West Seattle Herald – A Soup for the Season

]]> http://lovinglocalfood.com/2009/cooking/west-seattle-herald-soup-for-the-season/feed/ 7 http://lovinglocalfood.com/2009/cooking/west-seattle-farmers-market/ http://lovinglocalfood.com/2009/cooking/west-seattle-farmers-market/#comments Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:43:03 +0000 Lacey http://lovinglocalfood.com/?p=164 White canopied tents lined Nicollet Avenue, vendors unloaded baskets of fresh produce, and pedestrians gravitated toward the freshly cut flowers. I was a sophomore in college and this was my first experience with a farmers market, a seasonal gathering in downtown Minneapolis. I bought some vibrant stems to adorn my dorm room and I returned weekly to absorb the energy of the market.

Moving to Seattle, I am surrounded with fresh produce and locally made products; but I have to admit I haven’t always taken advantage. The Safeway was so much more convenient than a market only open for four hours every week. I think of that now and I kick myself. My husband and I now live in West Seattle and we are spoiled with a year-round farmers market. I am energized by the mix of passionate local farmers, talented chefs, and fellow food lovers. Three weeks ago we wandered through the market in the rain and came home with just-pulled-from-the-ground carrots, homemade berry cider, and a chardonnay white bean hummus made with local grape seed oil. Here is my kudos to the producers:

Stoney Plains Organic Farm

Like me, Stoney Plains Organic Farm owners Robert and Patricia Meyer originally hail from the great state of Minnesota. When they ventured to the west coast, they started with a 60’ x 80’ garden that has grown into a 60-acre organic farm in Tenino, WA. Every week they bring their eggs, berries, and organic vegetables to the West Seattle Farmers Market. After sampling their imperfectly-shaped, delightfully sweet, and equally delicious carrots, I was shoveling them into a bag to purchase. Some of the carrots managed to make it into my Black Bean and Bacon Soup before I devoured them.

Rockridge Orchards

Rockridge Orchards, located in Enumclaw, WA, can be found at the market year round with cider, hard cider, vegetables, berries, pears, apples, and Asian pears. Always with a huge smile on his face, the farmer is overjoyed to share a taste of his hand grown, handmade cider with market goers. Charlie and I purchased a bottle of hard raspberry cider; a delightful treat, like the freshly picked raspberries that grew mysteriously behind our garden when I was growing up.

Sound Bites Sauce and Spread Co.

Sound Bites Sauce and Spread Co. was tugging at the heartstrings of my inner wino. Hummus made with grape seed oil; I had to take a bite. After my spoonful, I pondered the purchase for less than five seconds before I was handing the vendor my five dollar bill. Richard Hines and Stephen McConkey started Sound Bites Sauce & Spread Co. in Tacoma in June 2008. They sell their products at farmers markets and regional grocers; West Seattleites, check out Sound Bites at the Morgan Junction Thriftway.

Market season is heading into full swing. Take advantage, Seattleites! Introduce yourselves to the farmers and producers and relish in the freshness of the season.

Craving new flavor combinations and always looking for a hands-on experience, I perused the class list at my trusty local cooking school, Bon Vivant. Sure enough, there it was, Soup as a Meal, taught by Chef Hope Sandler. I quickly signed up and anxiously waited for the ringing of the school bell.

My last Bon Vivant class was an initiation by fire experience, so I walked into this class ready to chop some vegetables. The atmosphere was much more relaxed and demonstration-focused, so I poured myself a glass of water, took a seat, and breathed in the aromas of the already simmering soups.

Chef Sandler and her assistants roasted a collection of eggplants, red onions, garlic cloves, red bell peppers, and tomatoes prior to class so we could start straight away with the Roasted Vegetable Soup with Three-Cheese Ravioli. The all-clad soup pot was layered with olive oil and herbs, the roughly chopped roasted vegetables, and the vegetable broth. After bringing to a boil and simmering for 30 minutes, an immersion blender pureed its way through the soup and it was served over pre-made three-cheese ravioli.

Itching for a chance to get hands-on, I volunteered to form the meatballs for the Italian Wedding Soup. The flavor base consisted of olive oil, onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. After adding the broth and bringing it to a boil, Chef Sandler added the diced chicken thighs and the beautiful balls of meat. The soup was finished off with spinach and parsley and served with shredded Parmesan cheese. The combination of flavors was a mouth-watering delight.

We made two kinds of chicken soup – one with herbed matzah balls and the other with cornmeal-sage dumplings. The two broths were somewhat similar, but the liquid for the matzah balls was drained of its ingredients, leaving it clear and full of flavor. Both were absolutely delicious!

The final compilation of ingredients was a Lentil & Spinach Soup with a Roasted Red Pepper Rouille. It was my first experience with a rouille, a sauce made from jalapeno, roasted red peppers, garlic, thick-sliced bread, salt, and olive oil. Lentils make a hearty soup and the addition of the saucy dollop really brightened the small feast.

The day following my lesson, I was overly jazzed to make soup. It was almost stressful trying to decide which recipe to try first. Perhaps the Italian Wedding, no wait, the Chicken Soup with Cornmeal-Sage Dumplings; how about the Lentil & Spinach Soup? In the end, I caved, following my traditional soup-making ways. I had a hankering for bacon and black beans and I had leftover chicken and green peppers in my fridge. Thus my version of black beans, bacon, chicken, and green pepper soup emerged, served with a spoonful of plain yogurt and a squeeze of lime juice. Perhaps next week I will return to the recipe pages.