Strawberries, Hot & Cold

Melty homemade organic strawberry ice cream—yum!

The summer solstice has come and gone, but we are still waiting for it to really be summer in Portland. (My two-year-old keeps eyeing the rain out the window and asking me, "Is it summer yet?") But we can't really complain, because for the past 3 weeks we've had an abundance of that most perfect of summer fruits—strawberries! Last night, in our daily attempt to keep up with the harvest, we made strawberry ice cream from my dear friend Molly Moon's new cookbook. Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream stores have a cult following in Seattle, and if you go there, you'll know why. But I have to say, the recipes in the book bring you pretty close to the ice cream store experience. Also: I don't miss the eggs in ice cream at all. I'm a Philadelphia-style convert.

My other go-to cookbook this summer: Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson. Too many nutritious, delicious recipes in here to discuss, but since we're talking about strawberries, you must try her roasted strawberries. Luckily I found the recipe posted on Design*Sponge with permission, so I will re-post it here. Now go buy these books!!

Highly recommended for the summer!

Heidi Swanson's Roasted Strawberries (Photo credit: Heidi Swanson © 2011)

Roasted Strawberries

8 ounces / 225 g small to medium strawberries, hulled
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 tablespoon port wine
A few drops balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350F / 180C with a rack in the middle of the oven.

It is important to use a rimmed baking sheet or large baking dish for this recipe—you don’t want the juices running off the sheet onto the floor of your oven. If you are using a baking sheet, line it with parchment paper.

Cut each strawberry in half. If your strawberries are on the large side, cut them into quarters or sixths. Add the berries to a mixing bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, olive oil, and salt. Pour this over the strawberries and very gently toss to coat the berries. Arrange the strawberries in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Roast for about 40 minutes, just long enough for the berry juices to thicken, but not long enough for the juices to burn. Watch the edges of the pan in particular.

While still warm, scrape the berries and juices from the pan into a small bowl. Stir in the port and balsamic vinegar. Use immediately or let cool and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

makes about 1/2 cup / 5 oz / 140 g

Reprinted with permission from Super Natural Every Day: Well-Loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen by Heidi Swanson, copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.”  Photo credit: Heidi Swanson © 2011

Listen: Crocodiles

Two music posts in one week...I know. But I've been listening this song by Crocodiles for a month (thanks, Sirius XMU), and their new album Endless Flowers is finally out this week. Watch the video below and then buy the record. Does anyone still buy records?

Music Monday

I can't get this new Major Lazer song with Amber Coffman (of Dirty Projectors) out of my head. If you haven't heard "Get Free" yet, I highly recommend:

Totally Watching This

Probably because I'm tall myself. "Tall Girls: A Story of Giants." Thanks, Anya!

Another Panda to Love

Panda "Monroe" sunglasses in Natural, $120

Besides giant pandas and Panda Bear, that is. My husband just brought these home with him from tour: Panda sunglasses made of bamboo and recycled polycarbonates. They are so lightweight! They're so comfortable to wear...why didn't someone think of this sooner? Black sunglasses are timeless (and they make those too), but I love the visible woodgrain of the "Natural" frames. Besides the aesthetic, they're so obviously not plastic that people might notice and maybe start to realize that, yes, there are viable alternatives to plastic out there! It just requires a bit of ingenuity. One more thing to love: for every pair of Panda glasses you purchase, they'll donate an eye exam and a pair of prescription glasses to someone in need, in collaboration with TOMA (Tribal Outreach Medical Assistance) Foundation. See their full collection here and start shopping!

Growing Farmers

Photo by Thomas J. Story for Sunset magazine's "One Block Contest"

There's a great article in the new issue of Organic Gardening about local programs meant to "incubate" a new generation of farmers. (Read the full article here.) Since most American farmers are 75 years and older (according to the last farm census, in 2007), and farmland is becoming more scarce, these programs are designed to help beginning farmers get access to land, funding, education and equipment. There is TONS more information on these programs nationwide if you're interested (check out ALBA and the USDA's program, for starters).

Portland's "15-year Food Action Plan", which launched last year, also encourages urban farming, which is what caught my eye. (Although it's a total dream of mine to live and work on a farm for a season, it's also impossible with a young family!) You can volunteer or intern at a farm to get hands-on experience on a larger scale than your backyard veggie patch. They teach you everything from organic weed control, rotating crops, starting seeds and more. Two great resources I found for Oregonians interested in this kind of thing: Friends of Family Farmers' iFarm program and Oregon Tilth.

And for those who already have the hang of urban farming and want to give back, two other great options: the Oregon Food Bank's Plant a Row program for donating produce, and Growing Gardens, where volunteers help people build their own gardens to combat hunger.

Oh, and last thing I'll mention as a source of inspiration: Sunset magazine's One-Block Contest, where neighbors created a menu for a block-party and had to grow every ingredient themselves. This is the future!

Black Keys: Best Concert Promo

This is the best thing I've seen all week. Thanks, Ryan!