What's Fresh Now

It's a Wrap! Thanks for Taking the Pledge and Eating Local for Thanksgiving

Our third annual Eat Local for Thanksgiving campaign was a huge success and we couldn't have done it without you. With your help, we collected a total of 3,535 pledges, a 40% increase over 2008.

This year's pledges revealed that on average, 9 people shared a holiday meal; meaning approximately 33,000 individuals throughout Puget Sound took pleasure in a local and "low carbon" Thanksgiving meal; resulting in an impressive C02 emissions savings of approximately 68,000 pounds. Collectively, your pledge promoted eating locally as a way to support local farms, strengthen the regional economy and protect the environment. That's a lot to be thankful for.

Thanks to you, Cascade Harvest Coalition has a fresh collection of hard numbers and compelling stories to share with local governments, partner and funding organizations highlighting the robust and resolute support in our communities for a healthy, local food system.

Congratulations to Kirk Mastin, winner of our YouTube Eat Local for Thanksgiving Video Contest. Kirk and wife Robin Sheridan's inspiring, sweetheart of a video is beautifully crafted. Plus, it has a zippy little soundtrack, so take a moment and enjoy.

Finally, a hearty round of applause to all of our Eat Local for Thanksgiving sponsors: King County, King Conservation District, PCC Natural Markets, Seattle's Child, Foodista.com, Organic Valley, Sur La Table, edibleSeattle, KCTS 9, Taylor Shellfish, and Klesick Family Farm, with special thanks to New Roots Organics, World Baby Foods and Stewardship Partners for their underwriting support on KPLU FM.

FARM SPOTLIGHT: Interview with Richard Holmquist of Holmquist Hazelnut Orchards

Alex Moore of Cascade Harvest Coalition speaks with Richard Holmquist of Holmquist Hazelnut Orchards about nuts for the holidays, a diverse product line, and running a family business.

Alex Moore: Who operates Holmquist Hazelnut Orchards?

Richard Holmquist: There are three main family members who manage the business: my father Gerald, myself, and my brother Brian. And Brian's wife Heidi helps with the packaging and my wife Alyssia helps with administration and sales.

Alex Moore: And how long have you been in operation?

Richard Holmquist: We've been working fulltime with hazelnuts since 1995.

Alex Moore: Please give us a picture of what your orchards look like.

Richard Holmquist: We're raising approximately 100 acres of hazelnuts with three main cultivars. One of the more common varieties we grow is known as the Barcelona. It is the larger round hazelnut that you can find in the stores over the holiday season out of shell or in bulk bins still in the kernel. We also specialize in a second variety that is very rare. It is called the DuChilly and has a very unique flavor and appearance. And we handle a commercial variety called Ennis. It is mostly grown for export, but we think a bit out of the circle and offer it to our customers as a roasted kernel.

Alex Moore: If you go to www.holmquisthazelnuts.com, you will see dozens of products including hazelnuts that are sliced, salted, made into butter, ranch-flavored, and southwestern-flavored. Tell me a bit about your decision to offer new products, and how it has influenced the success of your business.

Richard Holmquist: That's a great question. When the family transitioned from a fulltime dairy operation to a fulltime hazelnut business, we started by looking at our options. In the 1990's growers were really limited to one place to sell product and that was to the processors. Over the years my dad invested a lot of time and energy purchasing and implementing his own processing equipment for hazelnuts and along the way he watched the industry leaders begin processing and selling their own goods and that sparked some ideas of what we could do. And with us, everything starts small; we don't jump in with both feet. We kind of test things first to make sure that we're on the right track. I think that one of the first products we did offer was the raw nut out of the shell — which really was a value-added item at that time. And then things slowly expanded. The next item was a natural step, roasted. And then shortly thereafter, salted. And then once we got into seasoned nuts our ability to be creative expanded: ranch southwestern, chocolate flavored and so on. And further down the line we eventually got into the gourmet items like butters, oils and flowers. These products are very unique to the industry and the hazelnut itself. It's been very fun and has unfolded chapter by chapter. It didn't happen overnight — we've grown into it. The hazelnut business is a good niche and fit for us and we are enjoying the work we do. Our family is constantly looking at new opportunities such as the demand for new products to meet specialty diets.

Alex Moore: You've obviously been really creative with processing products. How have you gone about finding new places to sell your product?

Richard Holmquist: Our marketing and sales decisions stem from our family roots and what we feel we can manage well as a family. We've really made this a fulltime business within the three managing families and we've never really wanted to extend too far beyond that so that we don't lose touch with our customers. Because our customers are our best feedback when it comes to what we're doing. So while much of our success has come from direct sales — Gerald and Brian have attended farmers markets for years — we have also found a lot of success working with regional distributors that understand the value of local family farms.

Alex Moore: What are some good holiday uses for hazelnuts?

Richard Holmquist: I have a lot of folks who like to buy nuts in the shell as a conversation piece. But most folks like to buy the out-of-shell hazelnuts as gifts for friends, family, and co-workers.

Alex Moore: How are people using the hazelnut oils Richard?

Richard Holmquist: In some ways hazelnut oil is very similar to common oils such as olive oil. In other ways, hazelnut oil has its own unique flavor and flashpoint. We always suggest that customers buy a small bottle first and we can help them with recipes and pointers.

Alex Moore: How can customers purchase your products?

Richard Holmquist: Other than farmers markets, go to the website (www.holmquisthazelnuts.com). We have all our products there. If you'd like to buy our products at a grocery or specialty food store, just give us a call and we will point you in the right direction: 360-988-9240.

At The Table: A Conversation with Cynthia Lair of Cookus Interruptus

The muli-talented Ms. Lair (she's the one in the blue apron) is an organic nutrition educator, cookbook author, speaker, actress, and improv artist. Not to mention the star of "Cookus Interruptus," a witty, yet highly instructional web cooking show. These short, engaging videos, with mellow, family-funny storylines will have you hooked and hungry for more.

Cookus features a cast of revolving characters all who occasionally pitch in, but mostly they interrupt, keeping the "plot and the sauce" thickening. Don't be fooled by the mugging for the camera — there's seriously good cooking and teaching going on here, despite "life's interruptions."

CHC: We love Cookus Interuptus, but we're also inspired by your background. You're incredibly knowledgeable about nutrition, food preparation, local food and healthy living, but you've had this other life as an artist that seems to be totally complimentary to what you're doing now.

CL: I spent the early/middle part of my life in New York City making a living as an actress in television commercials which paid for my return to school to study nutrition. I studied with Annemarie Colbin at the Natural Gourmet Cooking School and went through a three year nutrition program started by Gary Null — both in New York City. My husband, daughter and I moved to Seattle in 1989.

CHC: Everyone has a passion — how did food and cooking become the spark that lit your fuse?

CL: I have a sometimes irritating excess of creative energy and not a lot of patience. Cooking is a creative art where you get quick and edible rewards. I'm not sure how cooking became the creative art choice in my life. I was a terribly picky eater and kind of a sugar junkie as a child. When I was in my 20's I wanted to look better and feel better and became interested in healthful foods.

CHC: How can people add fresh, local food to their daily menu, especially on a budget?

CL: Focusing your diet around whole grains, beans, fresh vegetables and fruit and using higher priced and higher quality fats and proteins in smaller portions is economical. You just have to learn how to prepare whole grains, beans and vegetables in very tasty ways (hence Cookus Interruptus). I make my breakfast and lunch instead of buying prepared food. This saves a bundle.

CHC: We always have to ask - what are your favorite foods and local restaurants?

CL: I am a simple gourmand. I like things such as whole grains and beans, fish and potatoes — prepared with flavorful spices, fresh herbs, and cool condiments. One of my favorite places to go is La Carta De Oxaca in Ballard; I also love Kabul in Wallingford.

For a scrumptious and super easy holiday dessert, scroll down for Cynthia's Poached Pears in Pomegranate Sauce with Mascarpone Cream.

GOING LOCAL

"Wine is but lovely poetry, "wrote Robert Louis Stevenson, so why not host your own ode to the grape, or gift local this holiday season courtesy of a Puget Sound winery. The Puget Sound Wine Grower's Association (PSWG) actively supports those who grow wine grapes in the Puget Sound region or make wine from Puget Sound grapes — and as we're all about eating local, sipping local is a no-brainer.

It's not just grapes grown in Eastern Washington that are suitable for fine wine - many parts of the Puget Sound region are ideally situated for growing premium wine grapes. The Puget Sound basin is a maritime climate with wet, mild winters and dry summers and is further north than most of the growing regions in Europe, giving us very long growing days during the summer helping us ripen our grapes successfully. Because of the abundant sunshine, relatively cool temperatures and dry summers, Puget Sound grapes attain a purity of varietal flavors found almost nowhere else in the world.

We encourage you to visit the PSWG website, www.pugetsoundwine.org and learn more about these small, family-run wineries and vineyards, as well as growers and winemakers such as Brent Charnley and Maggie Nilan of Lopez Island Vineyards (pictured here). Happy holidays and may all your toasts be merry and local!

Upcoming Events

FEATURED RECIPE: Poached Pears in Pomegranate Sauce with Mascarpone

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Makes 4 servings

½ cup pomegranate juice

2 tablespoons Mirin (a type of Japanese rice wine, similar to sake)

2 tablespoons unrefined cane sugar

2 Bosc pears

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon kuzu or arrowroot (check with your local grocers — i.e. PCC carries arrowroot)

Garnish

½ cup mascarpone

2 tablespoons sour cream

1-2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

½ teaspoon vanilla

Combine juice, Mirin and sugar in a 2-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Stir constantly, until crystals dissolve completely, about 2 minutes.

Halve and core the pears. Add fruit to pan, face down, turn heat to a very low simmer, cover and poach until tender, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove fruit from pan, set aside. Keep the poaching liquid in the pan.

Combine starch with water in a small bowl. Bring poaching liquid to a simmer. Stir starch mixture into poaching liquid, stirring constantly. As soon as mixture thickens and clears, remove from heat.

Mix together mascarpone, sour cream, sweetener and vanilla in a small bowl. To serve, place some sauce and ½ pear on a small plate or in a bowl and put a dollop of mascarpone cream in the hollow of each pear.