STANWOOD — The Port Susan Farmers Market, now in its third season, is part of a community effort to promote agriculture and economic development in northwest Snohomish County.
Don’t expect to see a lot of crafts at this market. The focus is purposely on food. Market manager Leslie Collings encourages farmers, ranchers and local food producers to provide recipes for their market customers.
Shoppers want suggestions on how to cook what they buy, she said, especially with the more unusual vegetables such as kohlrabi, cabbage rabe and kale.
“A lot of people want to include kale in their diet because of its health benefits, but kale can be bitter,” Collings said. “However, if you just let it sit mixed with a walnut vinaigrette, for example, it takes the bitterness out.”
Kohlrabi, a root, can be sliced for dipping or cooked as you would a potato. Rabe is good tossed with olive oil and salt and roasted for 10 to 15 minutes.
As we head into August, the focus is on blueberries, Collings said.
Most farmers markets in Snohomish County boast blueberry farm vendors from around the county or from Skagit Valley.
Collings offers up a blueberry cobbler recipe that has been in her family for generations, a salad with blueberries and feta cheese or goat cheese, and a recipe for grilled pork chops from the Stoffel Family Farm near Arlington.
The Stoffels have been raising hogs since the late 1970s, first focusing on the sale of weaner pigs to raise as butcher hogs. Now the farm is selling packaged pork products at the Port Susan Farmers Market. Sausage, ground pork, and pork roasts, chops and steaks are available, Dana Stoffel said.
The following main dish for four can be paired with sauteed apple slices (at least 2 apples) with a little cinnamon, roasted peeled kohlrabi, the blueberry salad and a Washington state Gewürztraminer such as a Hogue Cellars.
Make Collings’ cobbler recipe ahead of time so that it’s ready to go after supper.
Honey-Apple Grilled Pork Chops
1½ cups apple cider
3 tablespoons honey
¼ cup lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ teaspoon pepper
4 pork chops about an inch thick
Combine first six ingredients, mixing until well blended. Place pork chops in a shallow baking dish and pour marinade over chops. Cover and refrigerate overnight, turning meat occasionally. Remove chops from marinade and place on prepared grill, about six inches above low-to-medium coals. Grill 40-50 minutes, turning and basting with marinade every 10 to 15 minutes.
Blueberry Salad
6 cups mixed baby greens and spinach
2 pints fresh blueberries
¼ cup finely diced red onion
4 ounces feta cheese or goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup glazed walnuts (recipe below)
Orange vinaigrette:
4 tablespoons white wine vinaigrette
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sugar
Juice of one orange
Shake the dressing ingredients together in a jar to pour directly on the salad.
Glazed walnuts:
¾ cup sugar
1/3 cup water
Zest of one orange
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups halved walnuts
In a skillet, combine sugar, water, orange zest and cinnamon and bring to a boil.
Add walnuts and simmer stirring constantly as water evaporates and glaze becomes thick.
Spread glazed walnuts on parchment paper to cool.
Toss together greens, berries and onion. Top with cheese, vinaigrette and cooled walnuts.
Blueberry Cobbler
Blueberry mixture:
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 cups blueberries
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease 8-by-11-inch glass pan.Combine sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg, cinnamon, lemon peel and lemon juice. Toss with blueberries and pour into baking dish.
Biscuits:
2 cups flour
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon peel
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Whisk lemon peel into flour mixture.
Make a well in the middle of flour mixture and pour in the cream.
Mix just until combined. Divide batter into 8 biscuits and place on top of blueberry mixture. Sprinkle cinnamon over biscuits.
Bake 40 minutes until biscuits are golden and toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
