Field tripping

Yesterday I went on a culinary tour of the gardens at Occidental Arts and Ecology Center. I've known folks related to OAEC for several years, but never had been there, shame on me. It was just the right temperature yesterday to explore the acres of gardens, a beautiful day. I took copious notes, but just want to reflect on a few things here.

First, I guess I need to quell the scientist inside, but I do wonder about some of the preparations natural folks get into. (This hearkens back to a few posts ago when I was trying to distinguish organic wine from wine made with organic grapes.)

But mostly I found the suggestions for uses of common and uncommon herbs, the other parts of some vegetables, and fruits, creative and inspiring. I particularly like the idea of using fruits in savory dishes. So when I got home I harvested the rest of my window box chard (all the cool weather things are bolting) and stir-sauteed it in part oil and part water, tossing in some dried cranberries and a little Meyer lemon rind. It was great!

Yes, I know - cranberries aren't a local crop. They are a food from my birth culture, and I do like tossing the dried ones into things.

Another inspiring observation is that you CAN grow rhubarb around here - though maybe it helps to be that much wetter (as Occidental is compared to Santa Rosa). They had tons of it which had bolted, and some they were still cutting.

Rhubarb is another fruit (which, of course, is a stem, not a fruit) of my childhood. And one which lends itself well to interesting combinations. One of the things I liked about Sweden was that rhubarb was a standard flavor (like cherry or strawberry is here). So, rhubarb soda, rhubarb ice cream, etc. One of the best things I had there was rhubarb pie with a crumb topping served with basil ice cream. Imagine it.

When I began this blog I said, "Don't be surprised if once in a while I lapse into recipes." So here is how I prepared some purchased Oregon rhubarb (inspired by the BBC Good Food site) the other evening:
Cut up enough rhubarb to sit evenly in one layer in a 9 x 13 stainless pan (or glass or an enamel roaster). Cut the stalks in half lengthwise and then in 2 or 3 inch pieces. Pour over one modest glass rose (that's supposed to have an accent aigu, and I don't know where to find it here), tuck in some slivers of orange zest - I used the last blood orange - and sprinkle over 1/3 to 1/2 cup brown sugar. Cover with foil and "roast" in a 400F oven for 20 minutes. Uncover and cook 5-10 minutes longer, or what it takes to reduce the liquid some.
This is good with plain yogurt - and you could sprinkle a little granola or a few nuts over the top.