Pasta Making

Well, a few nights ago I experimented by making pasta from scratch from all local ingredients. It's a trial run to see how this whole going local thing will work into our lives for the next year. The eggs were from a farm in Granite Falls, all pastel colors and different sizes. They worked beautifully into the fresh flour from Nash's Organic Produce, and all in all created a pasta that was tender and delicious. Here is the process...

Eggs & Flour...

'

Knead for a lonnnnng time...



Divide accordingly...



Flatten...



Flatten Again...



And Again, until it starts looking a little something like this...



After all of this, you run it through the pasta cutter, and voila! Fresh Pasta.

Ballard Farmer's Market

In trying to seek out the best of the best in year-round farmer's markets, today we decided to voyage out to Ballard. The market was unbelievably bustling with activity, and we had a great conversation with a local farm that sells flour (yay!). Apparently, wheat has oil in it that goes rancid really quickly, so people that have digestive issues with wheat are sometimes having issues with the rancid varieties available on the supermarket shelves. The farmer we spoke to, Emma, said that many people who have had issues with wheat in the past have had luck with their flours.

We bought a 4lb bag of pastry flour, which is finely ground and perfect for pasta. Next week, we'll probably give the rye a whirl, and bake a loaf of bread with it. Again, we are in prep stages, so we are lucky enough to have this planning time to find the best of the best before our self-imposed sabbatical.

Soybeans, Soybeans, where are you from?

So, Dan and I are on the pursuit for local tofu. At first glance, this doesn't really seem like a big deal, right? Local tofu-just pop down to the local PCC or other health food store, and pick up Island Springs Tofu tofu, which is locally made in the San Juan Islands. Oh, but wait! Where are those *soybeans* from?? Who knows. And after watching Food, Inc (also available on Netflix On Demand right now! Watch it!), we know that soybeans are one of the most controversial crops out there.

Now we are trying to figure out...do we forgo tofu for a year? Do we need to eat a strong protein *every* day? Or will we be living on Lentil's for a year?

In other news, we (and by we, I mean my mom) found jars that are not terribly expensive, and after calling around to local farms, are planning a trip to Eastern Washington to search out tomatoes for canning. I feel like an urban homesteader!

More Guides

Here are a few more guides for what's seasonal in the fall months in Seattle. I'll do this for every season, so check back for winter months, too!

Prep, Prep, Prep!

We are starting to do the leg work for this journey, and part of that is going to the farmer's market to cost compare and begin buying some of our groceries there. Already, I'm seeing what an impact this change will be--a recipe I was going to make called for onions. Lots and lots of onions. So I put it on the list. Well, onions aren't in season yet. Already I'm starting to understand that to take this journey, we will need lots of prep time, lots of forward thinking, and lots of freezer space.

A few photos from our trip today:

Autumn - What's in Season: Fruits

It does occur to me that we are in the middle of summer, and I'm providing guides for fall season. I suppose I'm getting a jump start, as our plan begins at the start of the Autumn Equinox, or September 22nd. From now until then? Prepare, prepare, prepare!

Autumn - What's in Season: Veggies

I decided I need to create a handy little chart to track what's in season to make shopping a little easier. Here is what I came up with!

Copyright Amy Holan 2010

If you would like a printable copy, please email me and I'd be happy to send you one! It's 8.5x11, to make it easier to print!