Good Stuff NW: April in Paris? Try Spring in Oregon
Spring is in full swing in the Northwest, as evidenced by cherry trees full of fluffy blossoms, the air perfumed with the scent of blooming things. (Apologies to allergy sufferers, including those in my house, who must face this glorious spring with running noses and itching eyes.)
The month of March began with an announcement that, after decades of inaction on the part of regulators, residents of the city of Boardman had filed suit in federal court accusing the Port of Morrow, Lamb Weston, Madison Ranches, Threemile Canyon Farms—a 70,000-cow megadairy that supplies most of the milk for Tillamook's products—and Beef Northwest Feeders of contaminating groundwater in Oregon’s Lower Umatilla Basin by dumping nitrogen throughout Morrow and Umatilla Counties. Recent studies have shown that the most prevalent risks of nitrates in drinking water include blue baby syndrome (methemoglobinemia), colorectal cancer, thyroid disease, and neural tube defects, adding that "many studies observed increased risk with ingestion of water nitrate levels that were below regulatory limits." Needless to say, I'll be following the story as it develops.
While a report from Salem on what happened in this year's legislature may not seem like a must-read, if you care about urban sprawl or greedy developers, or feeding hungry people or even shopping at your farmers' market, you need to at least skim this wrap-up of the 2024 Oregon Legislative Session.
And speaking of farmers' markets, for the next few weeks you be finding wagonloads of the greens called raab, rabe and rapini spilling onto farmers' tables. Fortunately, Market Master Ginger Rapport of the Beaverton Farmers' Market has written a guide to these crucifers, and included a dead-simple recipe for a balsamic vinegar reduction that is, frankly, a made-in-heaven pairing with them.
Now that we're onto the subject of spring's greens, I'm passing along my new favorite dressing for spring's more delicate salad makings. Plus there's a page from my family recipe file with the inclusion of my mother's classic granola, still on regular rotation on our breakfast table. Just don't call it "hippie food," okay?
Please join me in thanking the enthusiastic supporters of this source of news-you-can-actually-use, the good folks at the Beaverton Farmers Market. Please stop at their information booth and let them know how much you appreciate their support of Good Stuff NW!
Thanks for reading,
Kathleen Bauer