Michael's done it again

Michael Pollan's assessment of the current state of the food movement, through five book reviews, in the June 10 New York Review of Books. As always, he manages to gather all the strands of this complex and often conflicted socio-political movement and present them with eloquence. Really worth reading.

White House Farmer's Market opens

Thanks to Michelle Obama for spearheading this effort. She rocks my food world. Check out the video:



Here's a great post, with pics, from Sam Fromartz' Chewswise.

I can't think of a better way to mark the new year, myself. Shana tovah.

Farmer Obama

President Obama says he wants to set up a farmer's market just outside the White House to sell produce from Michelle's garden and give local farmers a venue for selling their food. How cool is that?

Here's the actual transcript of a question from recent press conference with the President, and his response.

Goodbye to all that

I've been meaning to post these pictures for over a month, but various deadlines, travel and holidays have sucked my time away.

During the spring, summer and early fall I like to shop at two different farmer's markets: on Wednesday mornings I went downtown to the market on Park and Salmon, just behind the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, and on Saturdays Sweetie and I would ride our bikes to the Hollywood Farmer's Market. I got to know several of the vendors at both places, and now that they have both closed for the season and won't reopen again til April or May, I am feeling a bit wistful. There are still two farmer's markets open in Portland; the flagship market at Portland State on Saturdays and the Hillsdale Market, which is bi-weekly and year-round. They are good markets too, but since I have to go so far out of my way to get to them (esp. Hillsdale, which is almost ten miles from my house), they don't feel like "my" market.

Here are some pics from the Weds. Salmon Street market and the Saturday Hollywood market:

This is Lyle Stanley of Gee Creek Farm in Ridgefield, Washington. I know him from the Jewish community (he used to be a member of my shul awhile back). He's a mensch. His broccoli's not bad, either.

Simon Sampson, a native Columbia River fisherman who sells salmon, either whole or in roast-sized chunks. I've never eaten tastier salmon. They have a fresh, wild tang that you don't get when you buy in a store.



A street busker who was happy to oblige my request for a movement from one of the Bach Cello Suites (unlike the sax player who was usually there, who kept playing Barry Manilow and MacArthur Park. Oy.)

This is Dave, of Copper Crown Fine Foods, who makes fantastic pestos and chutneys; my favorite is his Hawaiian pesto, which has little bits of pineapple in it. Delicious. If you check out the link, you'll see he does catering as well; check him out! I think he's done with the markets for the season (pesto is seasonal, after all), but he'll be back in the spring.

Pesto closeup. He usually has a garlic chive, a Thai basil and a few weekly specialties.

Here are pictures of the Hollywood Market:




This is the Village Crepery operating out of what I call their Crepemobile, a funky International truck that's got to be at least as old as I am. They usually have a larger stand and people will wait six deep in line for one of their crepes. They're worth it, too. Watching them make the crepes is half the fun.



Sweetie with our crepes. Mine was spinach, tomato, mozzarella, basil and a squirt of creme fraiche. Hers was more of a breakfast crepe; I forget what was in it, but they're all delicious.



Spring seems very far away...