Cascadian Farm Organic Goodness

Also known as a Dutch baby, pannekoeken are Dutch pancakes baked in the oven that become puffed along the edges. They are then filled with every variety of fruit, jams, baked apples and savory varieties with bacon and sautéed vegetables and a bit of shredded cheese and served for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.

These were a favorite of mine when I was younger, made by the neighbor across the street. She shared her recipe with my mom one day and my love affair with the simple pancake was set in stone. Pannekoeken are easy to throw together, and they bake just long enough that you can whip them up, toss them in the oven and sneak in a morning shower while they bake.

We are finally seeing peaches here, and I have been patiently waiting for them as others talk of crumbles and cobblers. I ate half of mine fresh with my kids, not bothering with batters and baking, and then the other half were lightly cooked in a pannekoek after being tossed with some raw apple blossom honey for dinner later the same night.

Honey Peach Pannekoeken

¼ cup butter

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1 ½ cups flour

¼ teaspoon salt

2 ½ sliced ripe peaches

2-3 tablespoons of raw honey

Heat oven to 400º F.  Place the butter in a heat-proof 10" or 11" frying pan with rounded edges or cast iron skillet or a 9"x13" glass baking pan and set in the oven.  Beat together eggs and milk.  Add in the flour and salt and whisk until batter is smooth.

When the oven is preheated and butter in your pan is completely melted, carefully pour the batter into the pan.  Close the oven door and bake for 20 minutes until pancake is puffed around edges.  Mix together peaches and honey.  Place peaches in the center of the pancake and continue cooking 5–10 minutes more until edges are a light golden brown.  Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Photos by Shaina Olmanson

The farmers market is in full swing, with new vegetables and fruits being added each week. Just this past week we returned from the farmers market with eight different varieties of vegetables to use in our family meals, among them a large bunch of radishes and 3 heads of kohlrabi.

After using radishes on a steak sandwich and making a kohlrabi slaw, I moved on to pickling the rest. I appreciate pickling because it extends the life of the vegetables, but I also like having a bit of tangy crunch on the side of my plate at dinnertime. Something about the taste of a freshly pickled vegetable, still crisp and with a distinct bite.

I like to use pickled radishes and kohlrabi on burgers and barbecue, as well as to top off midday salads or in place of pickles on a sandwich. They're also wonderful alone, just sitting as a salad on the side of my dinner plate.

Pickled Radish and Kohlrabi Chips

1 bunch radishes (10-12)

2 heads kohlrabi

3 small onions

¼ cup pickling salt

1 ½ cups vinegar

½ cup sugar

1 tablespoon celery seeds

1 tablespoon whole peppercorns

1 tablespoon mustard seed

Peel the green portion off the kohlrabi. Cut the bulb in half and thinly slice. Thinly slice radishes and onions. Add pickling salt and one quart of ice water together. Pour over the sliced vegetables and allow to sit for at least two hours. Drain the salt water and rinse vegetables thoroughly.

In a medium saucepan, bring vinegar, sugar, celery seeds, peppercorns and mustard seeds to a boil. Boil for three minutes and pour over vegetables. Store the pickle chips in an airtight container in the fridge. They can be processed and canned as well, or they can be eaten fresh from the fridge. Make at least one day ahead for best results if eating fresh.

Makes 3-4 cups of pickle chips with juice.

Growing up radishes to me were crudités on platter filled with more crudités like carrots, celery and cauliflower. I would eat them every once in a while, curious as to what the red orbs tasted like, and I was always surprised when they had a bite. I still am to this day.

For my husband, his radish experience started in the garden and ended atop a peanut butter sandwich. Yes, he consumed many a peanut butter and radish sandwich in his day, a combination I have not yet tried. Though I do have to say I’m intrigued at the texture addition to the peanut butter sandwich.

Then there is the classic bread, butter and radish combo that so many people speak of, and that is what I was considering when I veered my mind in a similar but different direction and landed on this sandwich, one that started in my garden.

As we readied to leave for a few days, I considered what would spoil while we were gone, and I knew I couldn’t let the cucumbers and radishes go to waste, not to mention the large crop of romaine or the tomatoes that seem to be turning red daily now. A few Greek seasonings later, a sandwich was born.

A Radish Sandwich

2 slices of whole wheat bread of choice

3 radishes, thinly sliced

1 whole romaine leaf

3 thinly sliced tomatoes

2 tablespoons feta cheese

2 tablespoons homemade tzatziki

Layer sandwich: bread > tzatziki > radishes > feta > tomatoes > romaine > bread. Cut in half and enjoy. If you’re looking for a bit more, try grilling the sandwich after it’s assembled until the outside is nice and golden brown.

Makes 1 sandwich.

Photos by Shaina Olmanson

I recently had the opportunity to take a trip out to the Cascadian Farm Home Farm in Concrete, Washington. I was traveling for work, and the stars aligned that made it possible for me to get there, and I am so glad I did.

Prior to going, all I'd been told about the home farm was that it was magical, and since my arrival to the Cascades was in the middle of the night, I had no idea what I was walking into the next morning.

It was cold and foggy that morning, but that didn't stop us from heading out to the farm early. We poked around, watching the water in the river and the fog lifting over the rows of blueberries. Not even the roadside stand was open yet.

But the pests and critters were out, making their way across the path, and I may have stepped on a few before I realized they were covering the road. I would later learn from Farmer Jim that one way of dealing with slugs is running them over or cutting them in half.

Our official tour started in the barn and quickly moved over to the strawberry fields that were being picked for sale at the stand and that would later end up in my strawberry coffee cake.

Farmer Jim was a fantastic host, explaining his method of crop rotation, detailing how he cares for each plant that's growing and pest control. I learned several practices I want to put in place for my own backyard garden about my small strawberry patch, the new raspberries I planted and the tomatoes that I struggle to keep under control. The home farm grows tomatoes and peppers in the greenhouse to sell at the roadside stand in later months.

And as strawberry season was soon going to come to a close, he gave us the official tour of the new raspberry plants that were just starting to ripen. This was the first full season since planting this variety, and Farmer Jim was excited about the earlier harvest they would yield.

We spent quite a bit of time in the blueberry field, and I got an in-person speech from Farmer Jim on how to grow blueberries organically. I've been dreaming of trying my hand at blueberries, and now I know how to compost and cover my blueberries with sawdust to create the appropriate conditions for them to flourish in.

As my tour and stay at the farm came to close, I instantly called my husband to ask him if we could move there, and then, more seriously, I told him Farmer Jim should be the voice for organic farming across the U.S. I was absolutely smitten as he broke down the hows and whys of organic farming, and it made me think back to my childhood when those methods were still covered in school.

What will my children learn about food production? Will they be told we create seeds in a lab so they can tolerate being sprayed with as many chemicals as we can throw at them? I know that I'm glad I have Cascadian Farm and other organic brands fighting to bring back traditional methods of growing crops and farming for a sustainable future for my children.

If you're ever in the Seattle area, do take the time to make a visit up to the farm. The North Cascades Highway is a great drive, and the farm is well worth the journey up there. Plus, who doesn't want homemade ice cream at the roadside stand? If you happen to be there in the fall, I'm told the pumpkin patch and sunflowers are quite the photo opp.

Photos by Shaina Olmanson

I recently headed up to the Cascadian Farm Home Farm while I was on a trip out to Seattle. As I’ve said before, there’s something magical to me in the whole farm-to-table aspect where I go and pick my own food, bring it home and cook with it.

I can’t say enough how hard it hits home to me in this day and age where so much of our food comes in boxes and Styrofoam packages and is purchased from antiseptic shelves in a large store. Sometimes it’s hard for me with four kids to get out and do the hands-on farm activities that I grew up with, so I try to give my children those activities in the backyard in our family garden. However, berry season is one time of the year where getting out to local farms and picking can and does happen. The strawberries are always sweeter, juicier and tastier.

Cascadian Farm did not disappoint. Surrounded by strawberries being harvested to be sold on the roadside stand, I was instantly comfortable and at home. Farmer Jim instructed us to eat them at will, and he was so accommodating to me, even running to his home to get me a cake pan for my cake. Of course, I was going to let him eat it when it was finished baking.

As strawberry season will soon be ended and raspberry season just beginning, feel free to substitute between the two berries in this recipe for whatever is in season in your area. Have you been to the farm to pick them yet this summer? I can’t wait to tell you more about my trip and experience.

Strawberry-Lemon Coffee Cake

1 ½ cups sugar

½ cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk (or milk with 1 teaspoon vinegar whisked in)

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 ½ cups flour

½ teaspoon cardamom

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, diced (or whole raspberries)

1 lemon, zested

For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

Juice from 1 lemon above

Preheat oven to 350º F and grease a 9x13 baking pan. Cream together sugar, butter and egg. In a separate bowl mix together the buttermilk and the baking soda, then mix into the creamed butter and sugar. Mix together flour, cardamom and salt and then slowly blend into the wet mix. Fold in diced strawberries and lemon zest.

Bake at 350º F for 35-40 minutes until top springs back when touched. Remove from oven. Allow to cool slightly.

In a separate bowl, stir powdered sugar with half the juice from the lemon. Continue adding juice until desired consistency is reached. Drizzle lightly over the cake and serve warm.

Photos by Shaina Olmanson

I grew up with a modest vegetable garden along the side of our house. My mom would have me pick vegetables for nightly meals or for a rhubarb dessert. In the summer we'd visit the local farms, and there were many, picking fresh berries or buying from their stands.

What I took away from those experiences was a respect for where the food at the dinner table every night was coming from. I could identify with it, and I felt connected to it, especially when I had been to the source that it had come from.

One thing I hated about the apartment living I did for so many years was the lack of space to grow anything. I quickly learned how to grow herbs in a container successfully, even when there was limited sunlight on the covered deck, and I soon moved on to bigger things once I had a yard. But why? What is it that motivates me to get my hands dirty in my backyard?

1. Fresh always tastes better. A tomato that is still warm from the afternoon sun tastes exponentially better than one that was picked green ripened with ethylene to increase its shelf life.

2. Gardening is good exercise. Bending to weed and harvest, walking with buckets of water, it all takes energy. Gardening is exercise in my own backyard that I am not paying a monthly membership fee for and keeps me in shape, gets me outside and away from the computer.

3. I'm teaching my children. One of the most important reasons for me is sharing the knowledge of growing our own food with my children. I believe it's important for them to know that food starts as seeds that are cared for until they become edible. We even go as far as harvesting seeds from the fruits and vegetables to plant next season.

4. I know exactly where my food has been. In addition to shopping at the farmer's market and getting to know where the food I'm buying comes from, growing my own means I know exactly what is in the soil and on the vegetables.

5. Having fresh produce available leads to healthier eating. When all that's in your cupboard are prepackaged cookies, you're more likely to eat prepackaged cookies. When you have fresh produce growing in your backyard just waiting for you to pick it, you're more likely to make a meal from it.

6. Gardening is fun! My kids love to dig in the dirt. They are constantly putting holes in places I'd rather there be no holes. Embrace your inner child and start digging. Plus, when you're gardening, there's a reward at the end!

Why do you garden?

Photos by Shaina Olmanson

Sometimes the best things and life don’t have to be difficult, and this translates into food as well. This pasta, for instance, takes only minutes to throw together. The process can be somewhat haphazard, trying to manage the inbox while navigating the scattered toys of the day and boil water on the stove, but the end result is fantastic and satisfies the hunger that's been growing by the minute as it simmers on the stove.

At the end of a hectic day, this is the perfect way to bring in a much calmer evening. Grab the spinach and the first tomatoes from the garden, throw together an easy meal, and then bring it all outside to enjoy the sun before it sets, bringing the day to a close. Even when the rest of the day has been anything but simple, a home-cooked dinner together can be just the thing to slow us down and make us appreciate all the rest.

Sautéed Spinach and Tomato Fettuccini

16 ounces fettuccini

¼ cup olive oil

3 cups fresh spinach, loosely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 cup pasta water

3 tablespoons flat Italian parsley, minced

½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

2 tablespoons butter

Kosher salt

Black ground pepper

Bring a large pot of salted boiling water to a boil. Cook pasta to al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cups pasta water for the sauce. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a skilled (or in the pasta pot – dried – if you're into conserving dishes). Add spinach and garlic to the hot oil and sauté for 1 minute before adding in the diced tomatoes. Continue to cook until spinach has wilted, about 4 more minutes. Add in pasta water and parsley. Continue to cook for 2 more minutes. Add in drained fettuccini, Parmigiano-Reggiano and butter. Toss to coat pasta. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Photos by Shaina Olmanson