As a kid I lived in awe of my big brother Brian. We were sidekicks- sticking together while riding out an “adventurous” childhood that was in part due to my Mamas nomadic nature.  From drawing to fishing, swimming, working on cars- he did it all as I watched with eyes wide in disbelief. Brian was essentially my superhero- not only rugged and outdoorsy, he was equally outstanding when it came to the kitchen. I would sit on the kitchen floor as he made us towering sandwiches with ingredients that were novel for a child his age. Peanut butter and jelly was deemed far too tame- instead we ate fresh mozzarella with grilled tomatoes and avocado or salami with pepperoncinis and Havarti. Oh and he baked too…fudgy brownies with cream cheese swirls, sweet lemon cake, cookies of every possible type. (more…)

Eat Local caters to folks that don’t want to cook (whether that be out of laziness or inability). Here you can buy pre-made meals prepared with wholesome local ingredients. Its like having a personal chef that scours the farmers markets during the week then loads up your freezer with delicious ready to heat and eat entrees. Really, its absolute convenience without a hint of compromise- no concessions are made on quality ingredients nor on the spectacular dishes that contain them. (more…)

The drive down takes about 5 days total. Seattle shrinks in my rearview, my foot is as heavy as concrete on the gas. The only real stop I will make before hitting Mexico is Tucson, Az. There I will sit down for a good meal at Epic Cafe, stock up on supplies at the cozy co-op and maybe do a little visiting dependent on who may happen to be in town (Tucson is a very transient city- folks are in and out). Then, Ill cross the border and begin the trek down to Bucerias. This is going back in time- I watch as modern cities recede giving way to cinder block homes and dirt roads. Ciudad Obregon is the next pit stop, a big city where I will begin to reacquaint myself with the Mexico that I love. I buy baggies of chicharrones (pork rinds) from children approaching my truck window at traffic lights and plastic cups filled with hot sauce doused jicama from gentle old women at gas stations. Here, I also seek the only thing that will make my dry mouth, my scratchy tongue feel less like Ive been chewing sand for the last 2 days- aguas frescas. (more…)

Passionate and proactive, Dylan and Heidi Stockman’s energy radiates and ricochets about the small storefront that is Green Go Food. This little haven of fantastically sourced foods, however, was not their original plan. Nope. They wanted a taco truck- get it? “Green Go”- green food to go? Alas, that was not in the cards. As fate would have it, the hand they were dealt included a sedentary location- a storefront. Patty Pans owner was ready to move into a larger kitchen and well…the Stockman’s needed a kitchen. So it goes, Patty Pan moved out, Green Go moved on in. At that point the couple was selling their delicious organic burgers etc. at local farmers markets but now with an actual location they had a restaurant on their hands. And a damn fine little restaurant it is. (more…)

The cherries are finished. Efforts to pull down just a few more are futile as insects and birds descend to claim the last of the fruit. This is not the end of the road. I may be shit out of luck as far as the cherries are concerned but there are other things to forage here. Lavender and rosemary grow like mad. Thick bunches of purple flowers hug the side of the house- the sweet smell wafting into the facing windows. Out front, the rosemary is forever threatening to take over our walkway. My skin takes on their combined scent during the summer months since I cant help but graze the plants with my fingertips as I walk by. Its hardly conscious,  my hands seek the plants on their own volition. (more…)

A lot of folks are on the same page as me in not wanting to support huge corporations that are built on exploitation, greed, destruction, immorality etc. I check labels and put my money in the pockets of the good guys- the small farmer, the conscious producer- responsible, respectful folks. The shortsighted conglomerate corporations solely focused above all else on making a buck are painstakingly avoided. A book came out recently- “The Vegetarian Myth” written by Lierre Keith. Everyone needs to read this book. If you breathe, eat, think, live- read this book. It breaks down how nature works, how food works-it will surprise you in how much you don’t know…it absolutely stunned me.  (more…)

My morning routine is as follows- brush teeth, wash face, locate eyeglasses, turn on radio (NPR), set up french press coffee, drink first cup, find brain, make breakfast. Ravenously hungry from the moment my feet touch the hardwood floor, its a wonder I find time to hit the bathroom at all before making my way to the kitchen. Eggs, pancakes or pastry are no good- all sit too heavily in my stomach. Butter & jam slathered toast or a peanut butter/honey sandwich used to do it for me once upon a time. They used to…that is until I had a change of heart. (more…)

There were large communal meals and long days outdoors. We worked shoulder to shoulder, lost in conversation or silent, heavily focused on the task at hand. The evenings were collaborative efforts food-wise, the tiny farmhouse kitchen crowded- dirt stained hands all contributing to a lofty meal…the smell of garlic, peanut butter, tamari, the sizzle of freshly plucked vegetables hitting a hot pan. Music, a solo guitar perhaps joined by a fiddle or two- an impromptu lullaby to lull the sun further below the horizon. All of us up to our wrists in dinner, forks or utensils never having been part of the equation to begin with. My skin was tanned under a dense layer of filth, my hands gnarly, my muscles strong and most importantly- my head was so, so quiet. The day to day was gloriously simple, every morning when I woke to tend to the animals before daybreak I was grateful for the work- immensely gratified by the connection I felt with everything and everyone around me.  The community, young and old- each person fantastically diverse in their background shared the common bonds of being progressive, proactive, adventuresome and nomadic in nature- their palpable restlessness magically assuaged by the labor. My own anxiety evaporated just about as quick as it took me to get dirty. I recall that within an hour of arriving, my Carhartt overalls were caked in mud. (more…)

“I just don’t want to screw this up.” We were walking a dirt road on the outskirts of the property, slowly making our way to Tom’s favorite apple tree when he said this. I recognize that moment as the point in my visit where my perception was reset. This man wasn’t just a simple farmer, this was someone acting on a desire to make things right-to be the change we all want to see more of. Instead of making excuses and talking the talk, here was Tom indeed living the dream. Taking in the astounding beauty that is (and surrounds) Woolley Farms I understand his desire to protect it and how waking up to this view everyday is motivation enough to do so. These 53 acres are home to 17 Romanoff sheep, 10 Jacobs ewes and 2 Jacobs rams, 40 chickens, 15 ducks, 6 pigs, 5 goats, 1 miniature donkey, and Stella Luna the livestock guardian dog. Of course there are the human inhabitants as well, though they are far outnumbered by their animal companions- Tom, his wife and a part time worker by the name of Rich that helps tend to the menagerie. Their neighbor is another well known and loved farm- Skagit River Ranch, of which Tom raves about and credits the owner, George, as his mentor. (more…)

Portage Bay has two existing locations- one on Roosevelt Way, the other in the South Lake Union neighborhood. Being a fan of their spectacular breakfasts (namely their porridge and breakfast bar) I frequent both. I do favor Roosevelt since its within walking/biking distance for me on the Burke Gilman Trail but the menu is the same across the board. Good news is Portage Bay Cafe opens this week in Ballard…lucky bastards. Supposedly the new spot is set to be a bit smaller and have more of a “cafe concept” than the other two which sounds real cozy-like. The folks at Portage Bay do food right- ethical, organic, local, sustainable and just fucking delicious. That being said, Im absolutely confident that the new place will be fantastic. I did a whole write up on the restaurant a little while back so for more on my take on it, please refer to my past posting. Anyway, go there…they open on Tuesday (July 7th) just West of downtown Ballard- 2821 NW Market Street, to be exact. Eat at Portage Bay Cafe and support an ethically sound restaurant- solid in its commitment to provide truly good (in more ways than one) food.