Chinese green beans

I was wandering around the Tuesday market even though my basket was already full because I love to watch people interact the way it happens at farmers markets, between producers and the people who love their food. There is one particular stand (if there was an identifying sign I didn't see it) that is there every week, operated by an Asian family, typically an older gentleman and two younger boys. I love this stand in particular because the boys are the ones we get to interact with. There's something about a ten year old boy who knows about vegetables that I find heartening. There were the beans: super-long, plump, dark green, and frankly...different. Had to have them! Long ago Mark got used to unpacking the groceries to find some unfamiliar fruit or veggie. To his often asked question "What is it?" I'd reply "I have no idea but how bad could it be." I've rarely been disappointed and was not this time.

Mark cooked dinner that night, Gorgonzola raviolis and the Chinese green beans. He prepared them simply: just cut them into manageable pieces, then sautéed them in olive oil, butter, and garlic just until they'd lost that fibrous texture. Though Mark will eat green beans he is not a fan, but he really liked these. They still had that green bean taste and texture I love, but were a little nutty and a bit sweeter, which Mark enjoyed.

Next time you're at the market and are so inclined, try them and see how wonderful they can be.

Dinner at the Cheese Board

Yes! Dinner at the previously-solely-lunch-and-catering Cheese Board! Last Wednesday night Mark and I went to the first in a series of monthly dinners at The Cheese Board. The food and service was so good we made reservations for the August dinner before we even got to dessert.

The first great thing! When we walked in we were greeted by the usual friendly people...they always seem happy to see us and make us feel welcome. Gigi Werbeckes and the dedicated Cheese Board staff did a wonderful job creating an atmosphere that was comfortingly familiar but altered in a way that made the room feel like a restaurant ready to serve a casual, but nice, dinner...large flower arrangements strategically placed, tiny candles on the table, and subtle lighting.

We started our dinner with the signature cocktail, a cucumber, basil, ginger, gin martini. We really like martinis and are endlessly fascinated by the flavors mimicked in the hands of a talented and creative mixologist. And really, you can't eat (drink?) too many vegetables. I was delightfully surprised before the martini even hit the table...by the cocktail napkin! Katlin dropped the bright-yellow napkin on the black and white restaurant background and I was instantly tickled by the effect. Don't know why...I just loved that napkin. And the martini was superb...just a little sweet, tasting of all the ingredients but none overpowering the others. Delish!

Next we moved on to the food. I won't go into tremendous detail because I'm not a food critic, I just love to eat tasty, inventive, whole foods, and when I can get it at a restaurant that buys local produce I want to spread the word. Suffice it to say that every course was delicious and we would have eaten seconds if we'd had any room left. We started with fresh summer corn soup and a mesclun salad with watermelon, shaved red onion, and a balsamic reduction. Then moved on to spicy baby back ribs so tender you wonder why they put knives on the table; Yukon mashed potatoes with cilantro and fresh corn; polenta cake with summer berries and peaches topped with mascarpone cream and honeyed almonds. All yummy!

Kaimi Coonrad, the Executive Chef, uses fresh ingredients to create dishes with clear yet complex flavors that entice with waves of depth in each taste experience. We had a wonderful time and meal, and look forward to the next experience in August. Only one thing would make it better...a Cheese Board in Sparks!

Home Grown Nevada - Grass finished beef and our first venture into local food

The other day I was sitting here, wondering what great northern Nevada food thing I could write about next. Now that I might be called a "blogger" I was feeling the pressure to write about some newly discovered source. I've been really busy with other things (weddings, Artown, eating) and haven't had time to personally pursue and vouch for new (to me) local food leads. And then it occurred to me that I hadn't written a thing about our first foray into eating locally...grass-finished beef.

Last year, in reaction to what Mark and I had recently learned about how mass food production really happens, we went looking for a better way to buy our food. It was winter 2006 so we knew veggies were out of the question so we turned to the Internet to research other alternatives. We found Tina and Jim Smith of Home Grown Nevada. Though I was pretty proud of myself for "thinking" of buying beef locally they had already had a client base, a delivery system, and a website. Many of my friends, with and without children, are concerned about the way beef is produced on CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feed Operations). So when it was time to find families interested in trying grass-finished beef many were ready to sign on. So many, in fact, that we purchased an entire beef the first time out. Buying locally has changed the way we think about eating all meat and how I cook it.

When I was little we often ate cuts other than New York, Tri-tip, and Filet Mignon, but as I started cooking for myself and fell in love with the Bon Appetit style of cooking, I was drawn away from the cuts that were actually tastier but required longer cooking times, or cooking methods that were more complex than simply "start up the coals". As it turns out my family used to eat grass-finished beef all the time. Though it was no longer available in the supermarket, our rancher/farmer uncles kept our family supplied, so going back to GF beef held for me the unexpected pleasure of a lost family connection. GF beef does taste and look a bit different than corn-fed/finished beef and some of us were concerned we might not think it tasted like beef. Just one taste and we set those fears aside: it had the beefy taste and satisfying mouth feel we all love, and another quality that can only be attained when cattle are raised eating their natural diet, grass. For lack of a better description, terroir, the flavor imparted to food as a result of the regional environment.

It's been a few months since our first purchase and we are still excited about purchasing beef locally. We've eaten everything from hamburgers to filets and it's all been delicious. In September all the families will gather together to share a meal and an afternoon while we cook up the two Tri-tips (one on the grill, the other in the oven for hours at 200 degrees). We'll talk, share, laugh, and enjoy our time together. And talk about our next community-based beef purchase and which of our other friends and acquaintances might want to come along in 2008.

Suntara Farms - beautiful eggs from box to dessert

Michelle at Suntara Farms in Cold Springs raises hens that produce beautiful eggs, and now the average person can have some for their very own. We received our first dozen eggs a couple of weeks ago and, eager to experience the taste of fresh eggs, immediately made scrambled eggs. They were delicious! The rich egg taste brought back memories of the eggs we ate as children on grandma's Yerington farm. We could hardly wait for the next delivery! Based on our scrambled egg experience I had already decided that the next batch would go to the next-best egg-based food on the planet...double-vanilla ice cream.


The second dozen eggs created an even better sensory experience. The eggs came to us in our Great Basin Basket CSA delivery, held in a beautiful purple box labeled Suntara Farms. I opened the jewel-colored box to find perfect mid-sized eggs in colors ranging from familiar, comfortable brown to luminous ivory in hues of blue and green. I cracked the sturdy shells you'd expect to find in healthy eggs to find plump, deep golden yolks that separated easily from the whites. Ten minutes later the pre-ice cream was ready for the refrigerator. I knew immediately that if the color of the mixture was any indication of the taste, we were in for a wonderful treat. This batch of ice cream was intended for a casual dinner at the home of our best friends and their two boys, so we we're hoping for something special. And we were not disappointed! I've made this double-vanilla ice cream a couple of times, always with tasty results but this batch was stupendous. It was rich, creamy, with a decadent golden color that is indicative of the texture only great eggs can produce. We got what we'd hoped for, the best vanilla-ice cream we've ever tasted! You can get these eggs directly from Michelle at Suntara Farms. Her contact information is included in the producer list.

We were there but the market was gone!

Looks like the Saturday Sparks farmers' market is no more. Admittedly, the selection and the patronage were minimal so we were not surprised to find the parking lot empty when we pulled in to do our Saturday shopping. The good news is that fresh, locally grow produce can still be had at the Tuesday and Thursday markets.