Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Turnips and Rutabagas (Oh my!)


What's the difference between a turnip and a rutabaga? It's a question that has stumped folks for generations. They're both fleshy winter root vegetables, and they're often used together. I picked the particular specimens in the above picture to highlight the difference, but it's not always so obvious. (By the way, the one on the left is a turnip and the one on the right is a rutabaga.)

I'll start with the obvious. Rutabagas have thicker skins. You want to peel them more often than turnips, although you can get away with not peeling them, especially if they're on the small side. Rutabagas tend to be sweeter and turnips can be a bit bitter, although sometimes you find turnips that are every bit as sweet as rutabagas. Turnips have white flesh that gets almost translucent when you cook them, while rutabaga flesh is yellower. Turnips are ancient vegetables, while rutabagas were first bred as recently as the 18th century by crossing turnips and cabbages. So turnips and rutabagas are cousins.

The sweet, hairy Gilfeather turnip was bred by a native of southern Vermont who zealously trimmed the roots off his creations before he sold them so nobody else could propagate them. The variety has made it into Slow Food's venerable Ark of Taste, and the town of Wardsboro Vermont holds a Gilfeather Turnip Festival each year. As with most agricultural varieties, somebody else eventually managed to get their hands on some seeds, and now you find Gilfeathers everywhere from New York's Green Markets to Seattle farmers' markets. Only they're called "Gilfeather rutabagas" everywhere except in their home state.

I love the word "rutabaga." Sometimes I cook them at the markets just so that I can say it over and over when people ask what's in the veggie mix.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Humble Feast


On February 28 we'll be holding our first ever Humble Feast buffet dinner at the cafe. Here's the menu:

Chicken Stew with Dumplings

Lentil Shepherd's Pie

Braised Winter Greens

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash

Apple Strudel

We're going to hold the event monthly, on the last Monday of each month. Cost is $12 per person, or $10 if you prepay.

I chose the name "Humble Feast" to set the event apart from those expensive gala local foods dinners that cost $75 a head. Eating locally should be an affordable, day to day option even if it costs more than processed food. There are so many terrific meals that don't have to bust your budget, and you don't have to be a celebrity chef to prepare them.

We're taking reservations at cafe@pattypangrill.com. Looking forward to seeing y'all there.


Thursday, February 3, 2011

Book Miles


I'm thrilled to have just signed on to print some actual copies of Cavemen, Monks and Slow Food: A History of Eating Well on the Espresso book machine at Third Place Books, one of my all time favorite bookstores.

Here's how it works: they do design and layout for a very fair fee, and then they print copies of the book on demand. There's no minimum order, in fact, there isn't even a price break for ordering in quantity because they'd rather maintain an ongoing working relationship than have you order too many books and then never come back. I love this kind of business model.

I've published two books with conventional publishers. One is in Tennessee, and they have the books printed in Canada. The other is in California, and they have them printed in China. When I order copies of either book, they also have to be shipped from the publisher in Tennessee or California to my doorstep in Seattle.

This press is six miles from my house. It's part of a commons where I can also shop for books, visit the library and get a cup of coffee while I pick up my books. As someone who is passionate about building local economies, I find this pretty exciting.