Good Stuff NW: Keeping Our Food System Strong in Tough Times
We just returned from our annual Fourth of July camping trip and I can’t tell you what a relief it was to be completely off the grid and away from the daily avalanche of horrors emanating from Washington, DC. When we got home, someone said, “Did you hear about…” and I was stunned, thinking, “Oh, right…” as if a rubber band had suddenly jerked me back to reality. All by way of saying: Allow yourself to take time off the grid, even if only for a few minutes or a couple of hours—have a picnic in a park, take a walk with a friend, go swimming or hiking…you get the picture.
With that in mind, if you’re interested in reading more about camping spots in the PNW as well as hacks to make it easy, you can read my Camp Stories here and here. And remember that many campgrounds have unreserved, walk-in sites available, though it’s best to try for them early in the week.
Since we’re at peak summer for local produce and with berries and stone fruit ramping up, there’s no better time to take advantage of the herbs and greens to be found at our farmers’ markets—like this recipe for an easy, quick herb risotto that’s ideal for a weeknight dinner or with anything grilled. And for dessert there’s nothing to compare to a refreshing berry sorbet for a light, cooling finalé for your next gathering.
And a reminder that with ICE raids and illegal detentions terrorizing citizens and legal residents alike, keep our local farmers and farm workers in mind when you’re contemplating that grocery list. Instead of heading to the chain grocery store, think about stocking up at your neighborhood farmers’ market. Remember, only 15.9 cents of each dollar spent at the chains goes to the farmer, where each dollar spent at the farmers’ market goes almost entirely to their families and their workers, getting recirculated in our local communites versus sent off to some out-of-state corporate headquarters.
In case you haven’t heard, goats are experiencing a renaissance as pets—in Multnomah County you can have three pygmy goats on any lot and up to five on lots of 10,000 sq. feet—as well as being an increasingly popular source of meat, milk and cheese. So when I heard that Portland cheese maven Tami Parr had a new book coming out documenting their history along with fascinating (and sometimes hilarious) anecdotes on certain goat “enthusiasts” in history, I couldn’t wait to interview her. Read my Q & A with her here.
As I mentioned in last month’s newsletter, I’ve decided to stop accepting outside advertising and instead turn to subscriptions from readers who appreciate Good Stuff NW as a source of news they won’t find anyplace else. But don’t worry, the articles and recipes are still there and free to everyone—plus the cost of a monthl subscription is less than you spend on one latte.
Thanks for considering it, and also for reading!
Kathleen Bauer