Beer Can Hats or How I Waste My Time

I'm not sure there's much to say for myself about my latest project, except that I giggled a lot while I was making it. And it looks cute on in a cheesy retro kind of way.

It's for my physical therapist, who's face totally lit up when I said I'd make one for him (I made him drink the Pabst, however, I will only stoop so low).
Now that it's done, I might need one for myself (but out of cans from a decent beer). If anyone wants the pattern, I'm happy to share.

Potatoes are Your Late Winter Friend

It doesn’t take much to convince me that Spring has finally arrived. A couple of days in the 70’s with the sun shining and the flowers starting to bloom completely fooled me into thinking my favorite season was here to stay. I could practically taste the fresh local greens that would be gracing my plate in what seemed like mere moments. I could hear the fresh snap of asparagus, bought from the Farmer’s Market, as I prepped them for a few moments in the steamer. I could feel the warmth of the soil as I planted my tomato starts.
So imagine my dismay when I woke the other day to what basically amounted to a blizzard. It felt like someone had played a cruel joke on me and I had slept through Spring, Summer, and Fall to return, once again, to the snow and cold. I wanted to crawl back under the covers. It wasn’t fair. I was depressed for days.
This is the time of year when all I want is fresh local food. I’ve eaten enough veggies trucked in from god-knows-where that lack flavor, freshness, and life. I want salad greens that last more than two days in the fridge. I want strawberries and tomatoes that actually taste like something and aren’t just red. This snow and cold weather are thwarting my desires.
Instead of giving in to despair since I can’t be with the local food I love, I’m taking Stephen Stills advice and I’m loving the local potatoes I’m with.
Potatoes are an ancient New World food. Scientists believe they first appeared in Peru some 10,000 years ago and spread throughout South and Central America (some wild species have even been found as far north as Texas). They are the most consumed vegetable in the US (sadly, it’s mostly as fries or chips). We eat, on average, a third of a pound per day (mostly Russet Burbanks, the ubiquitous Idaho potato).
There is thought to be over 5000 varieties of potatoes grown world-wide (which mean you could have a very satisfying potato-filled life and never have to eat another Russet). They come with white, yellow, pink or purple flesh with thin or thick skins. Some grow into a perfectly smooth, rounded shape, some look like fingers, and others look like strange warty creatures. The textures range from dry and mealy (this is actually a technical potato texture term) to moist and waxy. The flavors vary from earthy to fruity to flowery. Baking or browning brings out sweet and malty notes.
Your typical grocery store doesn’t offer much variety when it comes to potatoes (certainly nothing like the variety of overly sweetened, strangely colored breakfast cereal). You’d be lucky to find Russets, Reds, and Yukon Golds all on the same day. Luckily, local farmer don’t have to grow their potatoes to be picture perfect or to conform to some preconceived notion of what a potato should look like, they can grow for flavor and variety and for their own pleasure.
Vern Spencer (the Vern in Vern’s Veggies) did just that last year. He grew at least 12 different varieties of spuds and has carefully stored them so we could have at least one local veggie on our plates all winter long.
Vern sells his potatoes through Six Rivers Market (full disclosure: I now work there) and currently has ten varieties for sale. I’ve been buying a couple of different kinds each week. The variation between them is quite surprising. Right away, you notice the physical difference. Some are round with smooth skin, some have a rough purplish outer layer and a day glow purple center, and some are so knobby and warty that it’s a good thing I don’t like to peel my potatoes, I wouldn’t know where to begin.
The distinctive tastes come out when they are boiled side-by-side and dressed with a little salt and butter. You notice the texture first. Those with higher levels of the starch amylose are dry and light due to the fact that amylose starch cells tend to swell and separate from one another as they cook. Their waxy cousins contain more amylopectin starch whose cells tend to stick together even when cooked, giving them a smoother, moister texture.
Each potato variety also has a distinctive flavor. Some are sweet, some have an almost nutty quality, while others have more earthy notes (although the distinctions are definitely subtle).
When it comes to how to cook which potato, the most important consideration is texture. If you want fluffy mashed potatoes or French fries with a crispy outside and a dry interior, start with a “mealy” (I wish they had a better word for this) potato like a Purple Peruvian or Russian Banana (or the Russet Burbank; it’s high amylase content is what makes it the perfect French fry and potato chip potato). If you want your potato to maintain its shape after it’s cooked for gratins or potato salad, use a waxy variety like Desiree or Rose Finn Apple (my personal favorite). Experiment with all the different kinds available here to find your own favorite.
If you are not a member of Six Rivers Market, you can also buy potatoes from Vern at the Farmer’s Market, which starts up again on Saturday. If you’re not much of a cook, the next time you have potatoes at Ivano’s or Spuds, ask them what variety of Vern’s potatoes their serving. But by all means, while you’re waiting for your spring greens to arrive, try something new in the potato world. After all, Russet Burbanks make up only one five-thousandths of the possibilities (even if we do live in Idaho).


Purple Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Serves 4

1 head garlic (see below)
Olive oil for drizzling
2 T butter
2 lbs Purple Peruvian potatoes, cut into small (2”dia or less) pieces, peeling is optional
1/2 c milk, warmed
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the top off the head of garlic to just expose the cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap in aluminum foil. Bake at 400F until the cloves are soft, about 20 minutes. Let cool and remove cloves from skin and set aside
.
Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook potatoes until a fork pierces them easily, about 15 minutes.
When the potatoes are done, drain them and return them to the pot. Add the garlic and mash the potatoes and garlic thoroughly. Turn the heat on very low and add the butter. Slowly stir in the milk. Mix well until creamy and the butter is melted. Admire the amazing color and serve immediately.

Auntie Har’s Oven Fries
(My aunt showed me how to make these super easy and delicious “fries”. They’re a staple in our house)
Serves 2

4 medium sized Desiree potatoes (these yield a creamier center, use a mealy potato if you want a more traditionally dry French fry center)
2 T olive oil
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the over to 400F. Cut the potatoes into wedges lengthwise. Place them in a bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Coarsely chop the rosemary and add it to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Toss all the ingredients together, coating the potatoes thoroughly. Place on an ungreased baking sheet, peel side down if they will stand up. Bake 20 minutes or until brown and crispy. Try and not eat them all before serving.

The Doll Collection

I've been collecting dolls from all over the world for 40 years. It's a pretty impressive collection of over 150 dolls. I've been keeping them in a cabinet my parents bought for me years ago. The collection long outgrew the cabinet so when I moved from Moscow to Sagle two years ago, I carefully packed the collection in boxes and resolved to find a bigger better display case to house them.
Fast forward two years and the boxes of dolls were still stacked in a corner of my studio until just the other day when my brand new, hand-made case arrived. It's absolutely beautiful and just what I wanted (which is good because I helped design it).
Jon and I began filling it immediately. It was so much fun. There were so many cool dolls that I had forgotten about. Like this guy from Argentina
Or these dudes from Africa
It took us several enjoyable evenings of guessing where they came from and then placing them just so. I had to make sure that the coolest ones were up front and the ones with the older, wobbly legs were propped against the back wall.
After so many years of having them all smushed together in the old cabinet, it was amazing to be able to see each and every doll. They have definitely livened up the living room

Earth Day Resolutions

I’m starting to see that bright green color of new growth around town. Blades of grass are starting to poke up through last years’ thatch and even through the piles of sand along the road. Buds are appearing on trees and bulbs are popping up everywhere. I love the fresh colors of Spring, especially that special vibrant green that seems almost surreal after months of brown, grey and white.
April might be my favorite month (although I have a tendency to be in love with whatever month it is, and relish the fact that the Northwest has all four seasons). It is definitely the Month of Green. And it’s green for more reasons than just the multitudes of shades of the color cropping up wherever you look. April is also the month when we celebrate Earth Day and that’s a very green holiday (okay, so the word green is getting overused in the media, but please allow me the segue).
I like to think about Earth Day as a kind of New Years Eve celebration for the planet. I use April 22nd as an excuse to make resolutions to go easier on Mother Earth all year long. There are so many things you can resolve to do to lessen your impact on the planet, but this year my resolutions are all about making more sustainable choices when it comes to food.
Resolution #1: Buy more local food. Buying locally produced food is great for the planet and your taste buds (not to mention the local economy). Most of the food you buy in the supermarket travels an average of 1500 miles. Imagine the amount of pollution caused by trucking all that food across the country and the world. And then imagine how long it takes to get to your table and how much flavor and nutrition is lost along the way.
It just makes sense to buy what you can locally. I know it’s the end of winter and there doesn’t seem to be much local produce right now but there is local beef, lamb, pork, eggs and potatoes and soon the greens and asparagus will start coming in. The Farmer’s Market starts in less than a month. There’s still time to sign up for a share in a local CSA (which is like buying a share in a local farm). And now that Six Rivers Market (the new on-line local food market) is up and running, there’s a place to buy local food all year long. I’m going to give myself extra bonus points for buying local organic food, which goes one step further in eliminating hazardous chemicals from the environment.
Resolution #2: Grow some of my own food. Why stop with buying local? Why not grow your own? We’re starting a serious (at least as serious as you can get when you live in the woods) garden this year so I can have the freshest produce possible and I’m going to make an effort to preserve the food we grow so it will last all winter long. If you don’t have space for a garden where you live, a Community Garden is starting up at Dubs’ Field. Contact the Sandpoint Transition Initiative to find out more.
Resolution #3: Eat less meat and make sure the meat I am eating is grass fed and local. If you’ve read anything about Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) you know they are a nightmare for both the environment and the animals. Industrialized meat production is one of the most disgusting inventions of modern agriculture. Animals are packed together, never seeing a blade of grass, forced to eat a diet of corn and agricultural by-products (including bone meal and chicken poop in the case of beef production), most of which is grown with lots of pesticides and herbicides. Their waste is concentrated in huge lagoons that leach into the water table and occasionally overflow to pollute local streams and lakes. And the gas expelled from all these animals is a leading source of greenhouse gases.
Another problem with consuming lots of animal protein is that it takes about 40 calories of fossil fuel to make 1 calorie of industrially produced meat so it’s very resource intensive. Eating less of it is an easy way to lower your environmental impact.
Eating grass-fed, pasture-raised meat and poultry eliminates most of these environmental hazards (except for the gas thing and that’s where eating less meat comes in). You’re still getting less calories out than you put in, but the calories used to produce grass fed meat come mostly from the sun, not fossil fuels.
Plus it’s much healthier for you with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids (one of the good fats) and lower saturated fats (the bad guys).
Resolution #4: Eat fish only from sustainable fisheries. While we’re on the subject of protein, I might as well make sure the fish I’m eating isn’t causing fisheries to collapse. Too many of the world’s fisheries are on the brink of extinction and our unrelenting desire for more isn’t helping. The Monterey Bay Aquarium puts out a handy wallet-sized guide that shows what fish are being sustainably harvested and which you should avoid. I’ve printed one off and am going to actually look at it before I make my fish purchases.
Resolution #5: Buy in bulk. I’m not sure how much embedded energy is in all the packaging that surrounds our food these days but it’s got to be a significant amount. Buying food without all the bells and whistles and eye catching packaging not only decreases the amount of resources needed transport the food from one place to another, it also decreases the amount of stuff you have to throw away or recycle. An added benefit of food you can by in bulk is it’s most likely less processed than packaged food. Whole foods are healthier for you and take a lot less energy to produce, making them healthier for the planet, too! Both Yokes and Winter Ridge have a good selection of bulk food. I’m also giving myself extra points when I bring reused bags to the store to put all that good food in.
Last year’s resolutions to eat more organic food and to always bring my own shopping bags have been going pretty well, so I think I can handle these five new ones. I hope you’ll join me in adopting one or two of them as well.

Vicki Reich tries to live simply in Sagle and is glad she can start riding her bike to town again. She’s anxiously awaiting fresh local produce and would love to hear if you’re making any Earth Day resolutions. She can be contacted at wordomouth@yahoo.com

While you’re waiting for that fresh local produce to come in, try this delicious potato soup with some of the local potatoes still available from Vern’s Veggies.

Potato Soup with Chives
Serves 4

2 T butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 strips cooked bacon (optional)
2 t. paprika
4 lbs local potatoes, diced
5 c. chicken stock
1-3 pieces Parmesan rind (optional)
½ c sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
3 T fresh chives, finely chopped

Heat butter in a heavy stockpot. Add the onions and sauté over medium heat until they soften. Add the bacon and paprika. Sauté 1 minute. Add the potatoes and stock. Bring to a boil then lower heat to simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the Parmesan rind if you have any. Cook another 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Using a slotted spoon, mash some of the potatoes to thicken the soup to the consistency you like. Place the sour cream in a bowl and add about 1 cup of the soup. Stir then gently add the mixture to the pot. Do not allow the soup to boil again. Add half the chives to the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve and sprinkle with remaining chives.