‘Upon my arrival Chef J.C. assigned me tasks for the evening: making potato salad using the goose eggs that a local farmer had dropped off earlier in the day, sautéing the beets and beet greens and then plating the vegetarian entrée, making vegetable stock to use as cooking liquid, and plating the rhubarb dessert.’

The biggest drawback to reviewing a cookbook, is the appetite it stimulates. With just-introduced Oregon Hazelnut Country by Jan Roberts-Dominguez, it starts with the cover. Most of the hazelnuts there are still in their tidy auburn shells, but a few shelled ones peek out at the top, hinting at delectable pairings with all the other local delights sharing the space: fresh figs, grapes, raspberries, apples, pears for a dessert-first feast.

This is a good time to settle in with Carol Deppe’s new book, The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times. Gardeners and their soil are resting to regenerate energy and prepare for next season – always sure to be better than any before.

Looking to preserve your harvest, either from grocery store deals, farmers’ markets or your backyard garden?  From canning to freezing, classes held at the First United Methodist Church, are designed to make you feel you confident about safely preserving foods in your own home kitchen. Bring friends, bring questions!  We will prepare and share a meal together near the end of the class.
Where?  At the First United Methodist Church Kitchen, 1165 NW Monroe Ave.  Pre-registration recommended.  A suggested donation from $1-$7 per class.Don’t let lack of child care keep you away please let us know …