High on the Hog

We're finding food - preferably made largely from local materials - an increasingly essential part of life here, nourishing us in more ways than are measurable on a strictly metabolic scale. When the conditions are right, procuring it, fixing it, and consuming it can all be pretty rewarding. Often it takes more than one imaginative soul to bring these things together.

I did not get a picture of our second pass at Beer-can Chicken tonight. Nor, for that matter, the first. But you basically know what a perfectly browned grilled chicken looks like, ehh? Moist, tender, and succulent these are. Give it a try - I'm sure the google will not let you down.

I made note of a recipe for slow-roasted tomatoes at Orangette a while back (okay, actually I think I first read of it in Molly's book). I actually dozed off before retrieving these beauties from the 200F oven after six hours or so. I went with some nice-looking Yakima-valley Romas procured from vendor at the Pike Place Market. Per Molly, a dusting of freshly-ground coriandor and sea salt and patience is all it takes.

And I have a couple pics to document the remarkable provendor in the Pacific Northwest in this unusually warm summer. Thai peppers raised to the state of red, something I would not have imagined, by co-worker gardener. I would not have had the chutzpah to put in the plant. But beans and tomatoes, now we're talking! Co-worker has far more tomatoes in his warmer location, but we are doing pretty well too. And we're are all about beans, especially in the Scarlet Runner vein. I have preserved multiple pounds already, and we feed off them at least a couple times a week as well.

And, speaking of feeding, Eric can often be counted on to be imaginative. He assembled some truly delectable "Lettuce Bundles with Grilled Beef," a variation on a Vietnamese recipe the other night for the two of us. That last part is key, as it allowed for a more generous inclusion of jalapenos and fish sauce, two not-always-fully-sanctioned ingredients otherwise.

I was inspired to try my hand at candying ginger after annoyance at price of a little box a while back. I am a big fan of ginger in any form (okay, the powder does nothing for me), and the candied sort is a special treat, wonderfully tangy and evocative of exotic places and climes and somehow stomach-soothing as well. It was a little time-consuming, but the result was quite satisfying. I don't even have to be greedy, since from what I can tell there are no other takers here! If only it were an antidote for H1N1.

Hope you are enjoying the bounty of the season as well.