CONVIVI YUM - Slow Food Whidbey Island
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Slow Food Whidbey Island
P.O. Box 1545, Freeland, WA 98249
www.slowfoodwhidbeyisland.org
CONVIVIYU
June 202
WHAT’S HAPPENING
June 5, 2021 at noon: Time to Have Some Fun
The Coupeville Farm to School Program and Whidbey
Island Nourishes are partnering to create a special music
video at the Bayview Farmers Market on June 5th to
support the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program
(SNAP)/EBT Market
Match Program. SNAP
is the largest Federal
nutrition assistance
program. It provides
bene ts to eligible low-
income individuals and
families via an
ElectronicBene ts Transfer
card. This card can be used
like a debit card to purchase eligible food in authorized retail food
stores and from farmers. Slow Food Whidbey Island Board of Directors
thought it would be fun to have us all form a Slow Food group at the event to help celebrate.
The music video will be a Flash Mob with simple dance steps and can be learned on the spot.
Come join us to have a celebration.
An Interview with Alice Water
An Excerpt from Cooking Light’s “Why Eating is one of the Healthiest Things we can do,” by
Hunter Lewis. To see the whole article, go to
https://www.cookinglight.com/magazine/alice-waters-memoir-highlights-good-food-
education-2017?did=626045-20210425&utm_campaign=ckl-
daily_newsletter&utm_source=cookinglight.com&utm_medium=email&utm_content=0425
21&cid=626045&mid=56078396903
What does fast-food culture symbolize to you
Alice: It has taught us values that go against our human nature, and [those values] have, I think,
really changed and destroyed the world in a profound way. We have become what we have eaten:
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fast, cheap, and easy. It’s taught us about the values of uniformity. And that more is better. And
that time is money. And that it’s OK to eat in your car. And that cooking is drudgery and that
farming is, too. And many, many, more values that I think have really imprisoned us and made us
unhappy.
Are you hopeful that the good food movement will shape the way we eat in the future
Alice: Well, I know that more and more people are coming back to their senses, but we really
need to go into the public schools. It’s why I’m focused completely on edible education in
California and a free, sustainable school lunch for every student from K through 12. We can’t
feed kids in the cafeteria … in a 20-minute eating frenzy. We have to sit together at a table. My
hope is that we can connect that meal with academia and get academic minutes for eating our
lunch and really connect it to what we’re studying in the classroom
What’s more important—having access to healthy ingredients or knowing how to cook
them
Alice: Right now, access. Supporting the people who take care of the land, that’s number one. I
do believe that that’s where nutrition is, in the ground. My farmer, Bob Cannard, always told me
his vegetables were 10 times more nutritious than other people’s vegetables. I never believed it.
But now his vegetables are evaluated, and they are more nutritious. And it’s because he allows
the soil to be everything it can be for those vegetables growing in it
How do you de ne healthy
Alice: It’s about living well. It’s not just about the food that you put in your mouth, it’s about the
way you connect with the world around you and connect to nature. Health begins in the ground. I
think falling in love with the beauty of nature is nourishing in ways we cannot even begin to talk
about. Bringing people around the table and eating together is one of the healthiest things you
can do. When you all cook together and eat together, clean up together, it makes you feel good
CLASSE
June 2nd from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Educational “Farmer’s Shadow” Food Growing Series 202
The topic this month is “Summer squash and cucumbers - best varieties.” Anza will also cover
using mulches and other water saving tips. Discussions on weed and pest management will
continue, as needed. Bring your questions. If you are not yet on the distribution list and would
like to receive the Zoom link, please contact Anza at education@southwhidbeytilth.org
June 6th at 11:00 p
Tilth Farmer’s Marke
Learn About Cooking with Seasonal Ingredients
At the June 6 market, join Rachel Joseph, an AmeriCorps volunteer at Good Cheer and a
registered dietician, for a food demo featuring seasonal ingredients. Her demo will include
cooking with local and wild produce, preparation tips, cost and nutrition. Her goal is to use
what’s available at the market that week
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June 8th from 7:00 pm to 8:30
The Cookbook Connection: THAI COOKIN
Sno-Isle Librarie
Do you have a favorite Thai dish that you would love to be able to prepare at home? Join Karen
Achabal in learning about the ingredients, equipment, and techniques used in the cooking of
Thailand. You will sample some regional specialties and learn to make our own curry paste from
scratch. The library has the cookbooks and recipes that you're looking for
A link to join the event via Zoom will be sent to registered participants the day of the event. If
you don’t see the email by an hour before the event, check your spam folder. To register, go to
https://sno-isle.bibliocommons.com/events/search/fq=audiences:
(5ea9a60c385cb03a0010b3f8)/event/606e08342adba82f0070bd43
June 10th from 6:30 pm to 7:30 p
Cooking with Fresh, Seasonal Produc
Sno-Isle Librarie
Farmer's Market Season is here! Join Sno-Isle Library for a live cooking demonstration featuring
fresh produce from local farms. Tasty recipes will be shared, along with nutrition tips. The class
will be led by a registered dietitian nutritionist. This program is brought to you by the Verdant
Health Commission, a Lynnwood-based organization that funds and supports programs aimed at
improving the health and lifestyles of community members
Please register to ensure you receive a courtesy reminder the day before the event, and to help us
get a head count. On the day of the event, return to the site for the Zoom link to access the
program. We recommend signing in a few minutes early to give yourself time to settle in and
make sure everything is working. For more information to register, go to:
https://sno-isle.bibliocommons.com/events/search/
local_start=2021-06-10%20TO%20&fq=audiences:(5ea9a60c385cb03a0010b3f8)/event/
609ab536d0c14b45007de238
THE NEW
FARMERS OF THE MONTH
Eli Wheat and Arwen Norma
Owners of SkyRoot Far
By Lynn Wenze
The ag has been dropped, the gun has been red,
and the missile has been launched! In other words,
our farmers are now totally consumed by the spring
endurance race called farming. I feel for them and
wish there were something I could do to ease their
burden during this time of the year. I know! I can
stay out of their way! Which is what I decided to do
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this month. And, even though every farmer we know is going sideways juggling millions of
details and things to do, they still manage to produce extraordinary food for us, raise their happy
and healthy livestock, and write newsletters to educate and thank all of us. I wanted to share the
following newsletter from my farmers, Eli and Arwen, who are now back on the farm. This
newsletter is from the week of Mother’s Day last month, and I think it perfectly describes a huge
moment of what being a farmer is all about during this time of year
May is always a challenging time on the farm because everything is burgeoning and growing,
creating a to-do list that is always a bit too long, but this week has had some added challenges.
We’ve kept goats in some fashion here on the farm since we began farming in 2012. Our rst
goat was named Alder Rose, and she arrived with her two young Nubian-Boer cross kids,
Willapa and Wanda. Alder Rose was my favorite goat – by far – I felt deeply connected to her.
When after several years on our farm she became too old to weather another winter, my grief was
heavy on me as we made the decision to ease her suffering. Her granddaughter Little Moon, who
is still in our ock, bears a strong resemblance to her. Little Moon kidded this weekend, the last
of our goats to give birth this season. She had two healthy babies – which surprised us: we were
sure she had three inside since she was as large as a boat. But after delivering two she dropped
placental tissue and we were sure that she was done. We were wrong
About four hours after the rst two kids arrived, the
hooves of another appeared, which was a worrisome
surprise, especially when we realized that the hooves
were upside-down. Fortunately, they were the back
hooves and so the kid came out relatively smoothly. And
happily, despite the delay, that kid was calling and trying
to stand up within 10 minutes of being born, as a healthy
goat kid should. It is so amazing to see these lively babies
emerge – every time it is a delight to me. Although Little
Moon seemed more relaxed and started eating ravenously
after the third birth, through the evening she seemed a
little ill at ease, pausing to stare into the distance and
resting more than we would expect. The next morning, she started pushing as if she was again
(still) in labor – and there were more hooves! But it soon became clear that there was a problem.
We called our friend and neighbor, who is a retired professor of veterinary science, and he came
right over to give us a hand. Little Moon’s fourth baby was coming out twisted, back foot and
head both trying to come through at the same time. It was not possible for the baby to come out
that way. So John worked to help reorient the kid so it could t through the birth canal.
Unfortunately, the baby did not make it, and Little Moon – after 2 days of labor – was in a pretty
rough state. This is the second time in 10 years that we have lost a goat kid. It feels hard. We are
grateful for John’s help, which helped Little Moon survive to care for her 3 kids – who are doing
remarkably well despite their mother’s challenges. We are grateful for the antibiotics that are
helping Little Moon recover from the infection in her uterus – which likely began with the
protracted labor. We are glad to have three healthy babies, but it was a hard Mother’s Day here
all told
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The mothers and babies in the rest of the herd are adjusting together to life on the farm. Morning
and evening chores include herding them between daytime grazing areas, which move
frequently, and the safety of a well-built pen by the barn for the night. This nighttime safety is
especially important when the babies are little. But babies don’t always understand where we
want them to go, so moving the goats tends to look more like a farm animal parade – humans
carrying little babies, and mothers nervously calling to their kids. Add in a couple of free-ranging
hens from Annie’s ock and the picture really does look like a barnyard freedom festival. Not
exactly the look we are going for in an ordered farmstead, but it does tend toward a sort of
chaotic joy. [LW: I had the incredible experience of seeing this barnyard freedom festival when I
stopped by the farm to pick up my veggies for the week. My heart simply over owed with such
elation and joy that I couldn’t stop smiling all the way home, as well as every time that evening
when I thought back on the parade I had witnessed.
Running a farm like ours, where we are focusing so much on building systems that help us
recycle nutrients, grow healthy food (mostly plants), capture carbon and build toward perennial
production means drawing on many resources. We are very lucky to live in a community so
abundant in the skills necessary to pull together a farmstead like this. We have mentors and
friends who can help answer questions about orchards, folks who can help with the well and
pump issues that emerge, tree care workers who bring us woodchips, and importantly neighbors
who can help us care for our livestock in moments of urgent need
Today as we write this, we feel grateful for all the many ways we are immersed in a community
that opens itself so consistently in sharing the wealth of its resources with us. In conclusion, we
will share a poem Annie wrote Sunday afternoon [Annie is Eli’s 12-year-old daughter.
A mother’s day poem, By Annie – aka Swallow
Today I saw a Frog
I went out to the strea
I saw a frog
Today I saw the birth of deat
I felt curiosity and wonde
I felt wretched and awfu
Today creatures move around m
Nearby a still, broken body
Today I have feelings of relie
feelings of pain, terror, grie
Today I watched a frog
I watched it submerg
My eyes followed it as it left
I thought about that frog
Today
I submerged my ngertips
In the same water
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SkyRoot Farm
7297 Bailey Road
Clinton WA 9823
Phone: 360-579-299
Web: www.skyrootfarm.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkyRootFarm
Email: Wheat@skyrootfarm.com
Save the date: Cook for a Cause, July 22, 202
It's that time of year again. Cook for a Cause 2021 is here!
Coupeville Farm to School (CF2S) is committed to having
their popular annual fundraising event for the community. Due
to the Covid-19 pandemic, they will be having their event
online. Community members will still get the opportunity to
enter dishes, show off their cooking skills, and highlight local
ingredients. CF2S will provide more information in the
coming weeks.
Whidbey Life Magazin
A great big thank you from the team at Whidbey Life Magazine
for stepping up to support your local magazine. A sneak preview of the
cover reveals the ten stories that are included in this issue. As always,
the stories focus on the people, places, and products of Whidbey Island
and are written and photographed by locals. You made it all possible!
Be sure to check out the Bread stories article. There is a story about
bread which includes Jim Hicken, our Slow Food bread man! The new
issue of Whidbey Life Magazine is now available on newsstands and at
Payless and other stores. To subscribe, send a check for $20 to
Whidbey Life Media, PO Box 284, Langley WA 98260
Organic Farm School (OFS) Pizza Part
Each Friday, from 5:30 - 7pm, the OFS res up the wood red oven and invites community
members to join them for Food Fired Conversations! After a year of isolation, masks, and social
distancing, aren't we all ready to gather safely outside, grab something tasty to eat and dive into
great conversations around food, farming, and community? Fridays give us all a chance to catch
up with each other, learn about who is growing a garden, who is learning something new, who is
doing something exciting, etc. It's also GREAT for their students to see who is supporting them
as they learn how to be farmers - as for the rst 8 weeks, they've been working in their own form
of isolation on the Farm. Please join them...bring your own beverage, walk through the eld, ask
questions about what's growing, and maybe catch something coming out of that beauty of
a wood- red oven
Seabiscuit Bakery and Mukilteo Coffee Roasterie Announce Collaboratio
Beth and Gary Smith are collaborating with Jenn and Sieb Jurriaans to create a one-of-a-kind
coffee roasterie, bakery and cafe destination at the space currently known as Mukilteo Coffee
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Roasters’ Cafe in the Woods. The new cafe will be full of your favorite sweet and savory
Seabiscuit Bakery goodies, as well as other breakfast and lunch offering
Mukilteo Coffee Roasters isn’t going anywhere–in fact, they are expanding their wholesale
operations and are thrilled to be operating side by side with Seabiscuit Bakery & Co. at Porter
Air eld. On one side, Mukilteo Coffee will continue to operate their world class roasterie –
shipping Whidbey roasted beans locally, nationally and internationally, with the addition of a
newly renovated walk-up retail shop. On the other side will be the Seabiscuit Bakery, a cafe and
multi-use event space – think french inspired fresh breads and pastries, breakfast and lunch, wine
events and more! The transition will take place during 2021
Seabiscuit Bakery seabiscuitbakery.com
@seabiscuitbakery
Mukilteo Coffee Roasters mukilteocoffee.com
@mukilteocoffe
Outside the Box (OTB) Farmstead pork share
Outside the Box Farmstead is accepting reservations for their pork shares which will be available
in August. Their Heritage Berkshire pork usually sells out quickly so make your reservation
now, while you are thinking about it. Assuming they don’t sell out, the nal deadline to make
your reservation is June 30, 2021 at 10:00 AM. A whole share can be secured with a $250
deposit; half or quarter shares may be reserved with $100 deposit. Whole and half shares can be
customized to the cuts you choose. A quarter share is a smaller variety of the larger share and
includes these cuts: roast, ribs, pork chops/steaks, sausage or ground pork and BACON!
“We strongly believe that ‘you are what you eat,’ and you can be assured that our animals eat the
best food possible, in addition to roaming our forest. We feed only organic feed and produce. We
use no chemical inputs.” Contact Brandi Gibson at 503-602-1891 to receive her “How to buy
OTB Pork” information sheet, to get your questions answered and for additional pricing
information.
Whidbey Island Farmers Market The new Farmers Market in Oak Harbor is now open. It will
run on Sundays from 11 am to 3 pm from June to September at Windjammer Park in Oak Harbor.
To contact them go to whidbeyfarmersmarket@gmail.com
Organic Farm School Fundraise
Their rst fundraising event of the summer is coming up! Please join them on June 19th for a
Progressive Happy Hour & Farm Tour. Please save the date in your calendar and start looking
forward to a fun evening of conversation and connection. Join them to learn more about the
Organic Farm School, their mission, and how you can get
involved. For more information contact Judy Feldman at
judy@organicfarmschool.org
Penn Cove Taproom in Freelan
A new taproom has come to Freeland. They had their grand
opening on May 27th. They are located at 5488 S. Freeland
Ave. and are open from 11 am to 10 pm. The new brewery
is located in a renovated barn with a family-friendly setting
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with a large outdoor beer garden and a roof top patio with great views overlooking the Olympics.
Tasty dishes are provided by Gordon Stewart best known for Gordon’s on Blueberry Hill.
Gordon has created a food truck called Reasonably Gordon’s food truck which will be located at
the taproom. The taproom will have live music. They are right across the street from Blooms
Bistro. For more information go to www.penncovebrewing.com.
RECIPES
Our contributor this month is Kim Marshall, Slow Food Seattle Executive Director and Governor
of Washington State. Kim was featured in last month’s newsletter. Her recipe is for Potato
Gnocchi with Browned Butter and Fresh Herbs. She is the chef/innkeeper of Stilly Woods Inn in
Arlington. Kim’s website is http://www.stillywoods.com
My quest for perfect gnocchi began shortly after culinary
school while working under Chef Walter Pisano at Tulio
Ristorante in Seattle. I cannot remember how many
hundreds of those sweet potato pillows I prepped for the
dinner service, but I loved every minute of it. Although
gnocchi (pl.) are made with only a few simple ingredients,
creating dumplings that are light as air is no small feat,
unless you know how the ingredients and techniques affect
the outcome
Here’s what I’ve learned
• Always use russets or other baking potatoes, which bake
up light and powdery. Waxy varieties tend to be a bit
dense and sticky, which result in a heavy gnocchi
• Bake the potatoes rather than boiling them. Excess water in the potatoes will require more
our for the dough. The more our, the heavier the gnocchi.
• Finely sifted our with low protein, like all-purpose our or a blend of all-purpose and pastry
our, creates the lightest gnocchi. I love Washington wheat and have been experimenting with
freshly milled ours from Cairnspring Mills (www.cairnspring.com) in Mount Vernon. I highly
recommend Edison, a golden, buttery all-purpose our, and Cara Club pastry our, which has
a slightly sweet corn avor.
• The amount of our is more of a guideline. The moisture content in both potatoes and our
varies according to age and other factors. The goal is to add enough our to keep the dough
formed during poaching, but not so much that it adds unwanted heaviness. Begin with slightly
less of the recommended amount and test by forming and poaching one or two in salted water.
If they work for you, roll the rest. If they start to dissolve or are too mushy, gently add a little
more our to the batch.
• Egg is optional and creates richer gnocchi. Keep in mind that richer or heartier gnocchi stand
up to heavier sauces and ragus; lighter gnocchi are best in light or simple sauces
• Knead as gently and as little as possible while still creating a cohesive dough. If the gluten in
the our is activated, the gnocchi will be tough
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flFor a simple preparation of browned butter and fresh herbs, I like this eggless recipe from The
Complete Book of Pasta and Noodles by the Editors of Cook’s Illustrated. Use whatever
combination of herbs suits your fancy. This month, the savory, sage and parsley in my
greenhouse are bursting out of their pots
Potato Gnocchi with Browned Butter and Fresh Herb
adapted ever so slightly from The Complete Book of Pasta and Noodles
• 2 pounds russet or baking potatoes, washe
• 1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for cooking and to tast
• A few pinches of freshly grated nutmeg, optiona
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose our or a blend of all-purpose and pastry our, plus more as neede
• 4 oz. or 1/2 cup unsalted butte
• 3 Tbs of chopped fresh sage, rosemary, and/or
savor
• Parmesan, to garnish, optiona
Vegan options: Miyoko’s cashew butter is a very
avorful replacement for the butter and browns
nicely. A lovely substitute for the cheese is Kite
Hill Ricotta.
Poke potatoes with a fork and bake in a 400° oven
until a metal skewer or fork slides easily through
them, about 45 minutes.
Hold potato with kitchen towel or potholder and peel with peeler or paring knife. Using a ricer or
grater with medium-sized holes, rice the potato onto a cutting board. Repeat with remaining
potatoes.
Lightly spread out riced potatoes and let cool until no longer hot. Sprinkle evenly with salt,
nutmeg (if using) and 1 cup of the our. Using your hands, gently work the our into the
potatoes, lightly kneading, just until the dough becomes a cohesive mass, taking care not to
overwork the dough
Remove a chunk of the dough and roll out to a long 3/4-inch thick rope. If the rope does not hold
together, return it to the dough, gently work in a little more our, and form the rope again
Cut the rope of dough into 3/4-inch lengths, placing the gnocchi on a parchment-lined sheet pan
sprinkled with a bit of our. Repeat until all the dough is rolled and cut.
The gnocchi can be poached in this pillow shape or rolled with a traditional indentation, which
tends to cook a little more evenly. Traditional shape: while holding a butter paddle or fork in one
hand, gently press each piece of cut dough against the ridged surface with your index nger to
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dmake an indentation in the center. Roll the dough down and off the ridges and allow it to drop to
the work surface.
Gnocchi can be refrigerated for several hours or the baking sheet can be placed in the freezer for
an hour, and the partially frozen gnocchi can be transferred to a freezer bag and frozen for up to a
month.
Bring 4 quarts of water and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt to a low boil in a large pot. Add one-third
of the gnocchi and cook until they all oat, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes (about 3 minutes for frozen
gnocchi). Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer the gnocchi to a platter. Repeat cooking
process for remaining gnocchi
Melt butter in large cast iron or seasoned carbon steel skillet on medium heat until butter is
golden brown. Add gnocchi, herbs and a pinch of salt. Sauté until gnocchi form a golden brown
crust on two sides. Garnish with shaved Parmesan, if desired, and serve.
COMMENTS FROM OUR READER
I love your newsletters. Thank you for your hard work
Do you happen to know if RockWell bean seeds are sold anywhere on the island?
Gwen Bras
REPLY:
I know of 3 places on the island that sells them — all of them in Coupeville
You should probably call before going to make sure they have some in stock.
Prairie Bottom Farm Farm Stan
293 Engle Road in Coupevill
Phone. 360-632-582
Open Wed. - Sat., 9 am to 6 p
Three Sisters Marke
779 Holbrook Road, Coupevill
Phone 360-678-544
Open daily 9 am to 6 p
Baylea
101 Coveland Street, Coupevill
Phone 360-678-660
Open Tues. to Sat. 11:30 am to 5:30 p
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.Emily - I am a member of the local Slow Food group, and I saw your query in the May
newsletter. A good resource about harvesting seaweed in the Paci c Northwest can be found in
the book Paci c Feast by Jennifer Hahn. It has a whole chapter on sea vegetables, including
recipes.
I took a class given by Wolf Camp a few years back. We met at Deception Pass State Park and
had a very enjoyable day harvesting seaweed and shell sh in local waters. I don’t know whether
the class will be given this summer, but here is a link with some information from the previous
class: https://www.wolfcollege.com/edible-seaweeds-and-shell sh-of-the-salish-sea/ The
segment about harvesting seaweed was taught by Ryan Drum, who is a real character, and very
knowledgeable. I believe he lives in the San Juan Islands. Here is his website: http://
www.ryandrum.com/about.htm
I will look forward to reading your article
Jenanne Murph
SOCIAL MEDIA
And as always, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram, plus check out our website
at http://www.slowfoodwhidbeyisland.org/
If you would like to join Slow Food, go to https://slowfoodusa.org/become-a-member/
Be sure to click WA-Whidbey Island as your chapter. This will make you a member of both
Slow Food USA and Slow Food Whidbey Island.
Contact Kathy Floyd at kathy46@whidbey.com if you would like to be added to the newsletter
email list.
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