It's Been So Long ~ Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup

Hello, Barefoot In The Orchard. Here I am again. Life twists and turns and I endeavor to happily
keep up. I want to continue to grow, evolve, and stay open to learning all that I can. Life's hardships, challenges, and unexpected happenings make me stop and question this journey at times and how I choose to respond. I love living in this big, beautiful Pacific Northwest; our little family is thriving so I really can't complain. I wish I knew all that I now know and I could begin my life as a daughter, sister, friend, wife, mother and person all over again. I am certain I could give even more and skip through unnecessary stuff that served no purpose. Of course, that is not the way things work (ha!) but I soooo wish it did. Oh well.... onward!

❤️

Fall has arrived and the food must reflect this lovely season. 

Seasonal and Local ~ Savoy Cabbage & Potato Soup w/ Bacon {winter fav}

Potato & Savoy Cabbage Soup with Bacon

A seasonal, local (Pacific Northwest) hearty soup with that takes just 20 minutes to make. 

I double this recipe for my hungry family and it still never seems to be enough. It's such an easy uncomplicated recipe, its okay if its gobbled up in an hour. :)

Freezable ❅

Ingredients:

1 onion

1 carrot

1 celery stick

2 cloves of garlic

1 to 2 tbsp olive oil

4-6  small peeled and cubed potatoes (I used yukon golden)

2 cups or so - chicken ( or vegetable stock)

8 strips of bacon - cooked crispy (leave out bacon if you want it to be all veggie)

1 medium savoy cabbage

(I sometimes add a bit of butter as well at the end)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Chop the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in a food processor. Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the vegetables and potatoes, season well, then reduce the heat and cover the pan. Gently cook for about 5 mins until starting to soften, then add the stock, turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 mins more, or until all the vegetables are tender.
2. While the soup is cooking, grill or fry the bacon until crisp, then cut into strips. Shred the cabbage, discarding the core.
3. Put the soup in the food processor until smooth, then return to the pan and add the cabbage. Simmer for a few mins until the cabbage is just tender, then season to taste and serve scattered with the bacon.

Nutrition: per serving

• kcal336
• fat15g
• saturates4g
• carbs32g
• sugars7g
• fibre5g
• protein21g
• salt2.61g

December ❄ Pacific Northwest ~ What's in Season

Its almost been 2 years since our big move from Santa Rosa (Northern California Wine Country) to the Seattle (Puget Sound Metropolitan Area). There are still days when I feel like...where am I -- but this ever-growing beautiful city and the wide green spaces of the Pacific Northwest have stolen my heart. Navigating this new food scene has been so much fun and having Pike's Place Market just a few minutes away, is heaven! 

❤ Happiest Holiday Wishes to Everyone!! xx's 

❤ Food grown in your own community was most likely picked within the past day or two. It's crisp, sweet and loaded with flavor. 

❤ Many studies have shown that the average distance food travels from farm to plate is 1,500 miles. In a week-long (or more) delay from harvest to your dinner table. 

❤ In that time. sugars turn to starches, plant cells shrink, and produce loses its vitality. 

❤ We all want to get the full nutrient-dense value from our foods as well as the best flavor.

•arugula

•beets

•brussels sprouts

•cabbage

•carrots

•cauliflower

•celery root

•chard

•fennel

•greens

•collard greens

•kale

•leeks

•mint

•mushrooms

•oregano

•parsley

•parsnips

•potatoes

•rosemary

•rutabaga

•sage

•salsify

•shallots

•spinach

•squash winter

•thyme

•watercress

•apples (cold storage)

•pears (cold storage)

•local seafood, meat, cheese, bread, eggs, etc.




(All photos copyrighted to Sabina DeShazo and barefoot in the orchard - thanks)

_

New Blog Addition ❤ for the love of food ~ barefoot in the orchard

Food - Photography  Ethical - Local

Transforming the ordinary meal into something special, created with love, for all those beautiful faces I live with and share my life with. This hasn't been an easy task but has been very -- full...filling. ;)

for the love of food ~ barefoot in the orchard 

My Dad - Lewy Body Dementia & a Slow Fade

These last 5 years, finding out my dad had Lewy Body Dementia and watching him slowly lose all of his abilities, has been rough. He had always been my go-to-guy when something went wrong. Car is making a funny noise, kitchen sink leaking -- time to call dad. He taught me how to install a new hard-drive in my computer and drive a stick shift. When I was a child, I watched him build an entire horse corral and small barn (almost single-handedly), restore a vintage car he found out in a field, and fix just about anything you could throw at him. I tried to learn everything I could from him. As I grew older I found he was rather deep and serious about many of life's great questions but his easy laugh, light Texan drawl and smile masked this side of himself. Early on in this disease, we still carried on long, serious conversations about everything. However, when those conversations slowed and eventually stopped, there was a terrible feeling of loss. Each day now, as he reaches the final stages of his journey, I put my hand on his shoulder and say, "I love you, dad." In this moment, his eyes open and brighten up and he says with affection, "I love you too, Bean (my nickname)." I know he's still in there. And even though caring for him, with the help of my mother (who works selflessly and tirelessly), is a daunting task each and every day -- it has been worth it. I don't know how far we we’ll make it, but we are hanging in there. 

P.S. This has also been made possible thanks to "my Mark," the greatest guy/husband/friend a woman could have.  Likewise, this journey has been made possible thanks to my three youngest kids, who are still at home -- and who, because of their own life experiences and how they came to us, show incredible empathy and selfless caring.


More about Lewy Body Dementia

Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes

Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes

Ingredients
4 SERVINGS
2 cups ricotta
2 cups mixed fresh berries
1/3 cup plus 4 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chestnut flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
1 1/2 cups whole milk
Melted unsalted butter for brushing

Preparation
Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth; set over a small bowl. Add ricotta to strainer and let drain for 15 minutes; set aside.
Gently combine berries, 1/3 cup sugar, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Let macerate, tossing occasionally, until sugar dissolves and juices are released, about 15 minutes.
Whisk both flours, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites in a medium bowl until frothy. Gradually beat in 2 tablespoons sugar, beating until peaks form. Whisk the egg yolks, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and zest in another medium bowl to blend. Whisk in milk. Add the yolk mixture to dry ingredients; whisk just to blend. Add half of the egg white mixture; fold just to blend. Fold in ricotta, then remaining egg white mixture.
Heat a griddle or large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-low heat; brush with melted butter. Using scant 1/2 cup batter for each pancake and working in batches, ladle batter onto griddle and cook until bottom is golden brown, edges are dry, and bubbles form on top of pancake, about 1 1/2 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook until browned and just cooked through, about 1 minute. Transfer pancakes to plates. Serve with berries and their juices.

Sustainable Rainbow Trout

Ingredients

1 whole (2-lb.) rainbow trout or red snapper, scaled, gutted, and cleaned

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

3 sprigs thyme

2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley

¹⁄₂ lemon, sliced into thin rounds

¹⁄₄ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Heat oven to 450°. Season the trout cavity with salt and pepper, and stuff it with the thyme, parsley, and lemon slices. Using kitchen twine, tie the trout crosswise with 2 lengths of twine, spacing them 2″ apart. Rub the trout with 1 tbsp. oil, and then transfer them to an aluminum foil—lined baking sheet. Bake trout, turning once with a metal spatula, until cooked through and golden brown on the outside, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the remaining oil with the juice in a small bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Remove the twine from the trout, and cut away the filets. Transfer the filets to serving plates, and drizzle with sauce before serving.

Ethical ❤ Local

Ethical

Environmental concerns in the use of fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and hormones. High volumes of animal wastes produced by CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) all of which can contaminate soil, air, and water. 

Contributors to global warming include the overreliance on fossil fuels for food production, the methane produced by animals, cattle, sheep, and pigs and the long-distance transport of the food. 

Expanding agriculture and animal farming often removes natural habitats and reduces natural biodiversity. 

An additional environmental concern is the deterioration of the oceans and their life forms due to overfishing and pollution.

Human Health concerns include producers' use of growth promoters, pesticides, and antibiotics that can affect child development, antibiotic resistance, and other health conditions. 

Concerns about the Humane Treatment of Animals include intensive confinement and abuse in CAFOs, and inhumane conditions during production, transport, and slaughter.

Link to Website: CAFO The tragedy of industrial animal factories.

Local

Local food has more nutrients. Local food has a shorter time between harvest and your table, and it is less likely that the nutrient value has decreased. 

Local food supports the local economy. 

Local food benefits the environment. By purchasing locally grown foods you help maintain farmland and green and/or open space in your community.

Local foods promote a safer food supply. The more steps there are between you and your food’s source the more chances there are for contamination. 

Asparagus Soup with Lemon Crème Fraîche

          Ingredients 

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 cup sliced shallots (about 6 large)
• 2 pounds asparagus, trimmed, cut into 2-inch lengths
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 14-ounce cans vegetable
• broth
• 1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

Preparation

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus and coriander; stir 1 minute. Add vegetable broth and simmer until asparagus is tender, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly. Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Strain into same pan, pressing on solids to release liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Stir crème fraîche, lemon juice, and lemon peel in small bowl. Divide soup among bowls. Top with dollop of lemon crème fraîche and serve.

Recipe courtesy of Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

What's In Season ~ March {Broccolini}

Pacific Northwest 

I am trying to be patient waiting for a little more sunshine and a little less rain. Being a Californian girl, in Washington State, I am a somewhat spoiled to a bit more sunshine -- but daily, I am awe-struck by the sight of so much natural beauty all around me and obviously, the rain and snow create this beauty. Also, I have absolutely fallen head-over-heels -- for lovely, fast-growing, not so sleepy Seattle. I am eagerly exploring every street, daily.

A great find,  PCC Natural Markets. It is a member-owned cooperative but everyone is welcome to shop there. They have amazing fresh, local and organic produce, quality meats, sustainable seafood and much, much more. There are ten Seattle-area locations. I absolutely love this store and joined to support local farmers and also to receive monthly discounts as well as member discounts, every time I shop there. 

The Purple Sprouting Broccolini {seen above} I found at PCC Markets - local, seasonal and super delicious. Yay! Perfect for Meatless Monday. My family gobbles this up - even my picky veggie eater (who shall remain nameless). ;)

Learning to navigate the seasonal, local food scene here has been challenging and a blast. This last weekend I also shopped for various seasonal produce at the Farmers Market in Capital Hill, Seattle.  Open Sundays -- year round -- 11-3 p.m. -- Broadway Ave E and Pine.

Roasted Broccolini

Ingredients

• 2 bunches broccolini (about 1 1/4 pound total), trimmed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 3 teaspoons)
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

1 Preheat oven broiler.

2 Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil. Spread the broccolini out in an even layer. Sprinkle the garlic over the broccolini. Drizzle the olive oil over the broccolini. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3 Place under the broiler and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until lightly browned and the stalks are fork tender.

Read more: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/oven_roasted_broccolini/#ixzz4R3qsAUZU

Garlic Scapes

I am currently on the hunt for these -- and if you grow your own garlic or have a good farmer’s market, give them a try.

They are the stalks that grow from the bulbs of garlic plants. If left unharvested, they will eventually bloom but if harvested before they flower, the plant sends all its energy into producing wonderfully flavorful bulbs. They taste a bit like chives or scallions, but with garlic flavor that’s milder and softer. Delicious!

Grilled Scapes

4 small bunches of garlic scapes

1 tablespoon olive oil

a few heavy pinches of quality sea salt

plenty of coarse ground pepper

Heat your grill to a medium to low flame.

Wash and dry your scapes. Break off the harder ends {as you would like asparagus} and leave whole.

Massage the scape with oil and sprinkle it with sea salt and pepper. Toss them onto the grill and brown both sides, remove them when they’re soft on the inside, crispy on the outside, a lighter shade of green and golden brown in parts.

or... 

Garlic Scape Pesto 

{toss into pasta, spread onto sandwiches or bruschetta or dipped with grilled vegetables}

1 cup garlic scapes (8 or 9 scapes), top flowery part removed, cut into 1⁄4-inch slices

1⁄3 cup walnuts

3⁄4cup olive oil

1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1⁄2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Ground black pepper

1. Place the scapes and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and whiz until well combined and somewhat smooth. Slowly drizzle in the oil and process until integrated.

2. With a rubber spatula, scoop the pesto out of the bowl and into a mixing bowl. Add Parmigiano- Reggiano and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Keeps for up to one week in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Also freezes well; add the cheese after the pesto has thawed.

Makes about 3⁄4 cup.

Seasonal Local Produce

• rhubarb

• turnips

• spring onions

• purple sprouting broccolini 

• kale greens

• parsnips

• greens (various)

• brussels sprouts

• beets

• celery root

• leeks

• potatoes

• salad mix 

• rapini

• squash (acorn, butternut)

• carrots

• mushrooms

• spring onions

• nettles

• garlic (and garlic scapes)

• herbs (mint, oregano, rosemary, sage)
• lungwort blossom
• rosemary blossoms
• salmonberry blossoms

All photos copyrighted to barefoot in the orchard