8.10.22

Around The Farm

Eat with the Moments: From Farm to My Table

by Hsin-Yu “Maggie” Huang, Dani Elenga Urban Farming and Environment Intern, Medical Anthropology/Food System, Nutrition, and Health Major

(Fruit wines and jams I made with UW Farm fruits)
   
We are what we eat. What do we eat? What makes us eat what we eat?

Eat with the season, and stop when the season is over. Eat what is at the height of its flavor. Eat what the land offers. That is how our ancestors used to eat when there wasn't refrigeration and air-freight and mass monoculture and CAFO (Confined Animal Feeding Operations). Nowadays, modern industrialized food systems offer us a large abundance of everything all the time, breaking the limits of time and space. No more negotiations and compromises need to be made with the weather, people, and landscapes. We can have everything we want all the time. The world is our oyster.
   
Therefore, we often no longer care about the flavors, seasons, and the natural cycle. Many of us no longer get excited about the local strawberry season because we can find California-grown ones on the shelves all the time. We no longer appreciate tartness, bitterness, pungency, and astringency because we can have fruits and vegetables that are as sweet as cotton candy. We no longer spend time stewing those hard, fibrous parts because we can buy bags that only have soft leaves. We no longer care what we’re eating and why.  

(UW Farm tree cherries beside CUH tool shed/ Tree cherry coffee cake/ Tree cherry jam)

The real flavors of seasons and lands are sensitive, delicate and constantly shifting. They can not be duplicated through machines and factories. There are so many tastes that only belong to very particular moments, and that’s what makes them so precious and beautiful. Eating with the moment is beautiful, and I believe that shouldn’t be forgotten. Working on the UW Farm makes me witness and learn a lot more about this.
   
It’s beautiful to be able to cook and eat things you grew and harvested with people. It makes you better see how close you are with the land and others. That is a very intimate relationship we all hold a fundamental part of. Pioneer of the slow food movement, Alice Waters said that “beauty is the language of care,” caring for other people, caring for the planet, and caring for yourself and your food.

(UW Farm Japanese plums in front of the CUH wash pack/ Plum wine/ Plum and apple jam)

To be honest, my favorite part about working on the UW Farm is all the produce I have access to. From rare varieties to extremely seasonal things, I am constantly amazed by all these tastes and textures that change continuously. I find it very exciting to cook with them. It’s a game of following the flavors. We have a cherry tree right next to the CUH tool shed. You can make cakes and jam with the tree cherries. I love its taste. The cherries would be gone in just a few weeks. Then, the plums start to come out, sour and juicy. A pot of plums can be made into plum wine, or stewed with pork belly. Then, their moments end, and the apples start to turn red. Farming, cooking and eating with this flow of moments makes me learn a lot of new things in the relationships between me and my food. I learned how fulfilling seeing the tomatoes turning red could be. I learned how therapeutic slowly cooking down a pot of apple jam could be. I learned how rich and sensual eating could be.

(UW Farm garlic scapes from Mercer Court/ Stir fried lemon garlic pork with scape/ Scape and scallion pancakes)

The world is fast now, and sometimes moments pass in a snap that we often don’t have time to really feel them. If you happen to have some time, try paying attention and spending time on the moments when you eat. It doesn’t have to be complicated things, like starting your own garden or making fancy exquisite meals; just start with putting down your phone during dinner and really chew and taste every bite of that moment. You might find something different between you and your food.

(UW Farm raspberries/ Different flavors of raspberry wine)
 
 

This Week's Recipe:

By Quying Danzeng, Nutritional Science and Food System Major, UW Farm Summer Nutrition Education Intern

Chinese Style Purslane Salad with Hot Chili Pepper

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 green onion, minced
• 1 bunch purslane
• 1 red hot chili pepper, cut into smaller pieces
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 table spoon vinegar
• 1 table spoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon salt and crushed red chili flakes

1. Rinse the purslane and let it boil in the water for 3 minutes. 
2. After 3 minutes, turn off the heat and run the purslane under cold water and set it aside. 
3. While waiting for the temperature of the purslane to cool down, cut the red chili pepper into smaller pieces.
4. You can chop the garlic as you would with green onions. However, if you want the garlic or green onion to be more finely minced, simply use a food processor. 
5. Put 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, crushed red chili flakes, 1/2 table spoon vinegar, minced green onions, garlic all into one bowl and start mixing.
6.  Keep on mixing until all the ingredients are combined, and sprinkle the red chili pepper on top of the dish.  
7. Ready to serve!

Simple Steamed Purslane 

Ingredients

• 50g of all purpose flour 
• 1 table spoon fine crushed sea salt and black pepper
• 1 bunch purslane

Steps to Make It

1. Rinse the purslane.
2. Once you have thoroughly rinsed the purslane, dry it using a clean paper towel or cloth towel.
3. Cover the purslane evenly with the all purpose flour and steam it on boiled water for 4 minutes.
4. Season with salt and black pepper. 
5. Ready to serve!

Nutritional Corner:

Purslane is a green, leafy vegetable that can be eaten raw or cooked. It is in Portulacaceae family, and is also called pigweed, little hogweed, fatweed. Purslane grows in many parts of the world, in a wide range of environments. It can grow in gardens and sidewalk cracks, and can also adapt to harsher conditions, like drought. 

Although purslane is best known as a weed, it is also an edible vegetable with high nutritional value, including omega-3 fatty acids.

source: USDA

News and Noteworthy:

Blackberry Begone at Yesler Creek Headquarters

When: Friday, August 12th , 9:00 am – 12:30 pm
Where:  Yesler Creek South
Hosted By: Green Seattle Partnerships

We'll be digging Blackberries & removing Biodweed at Yesler South.

Dress for the expected weather, sturdy shoes or boots and bring a water bottle and gloves if you have them
We'll have a break at 10:30AM so bring a snack and a drink
We'll have the tools needed and extra gloves if needed

Find out more and sign up for this event here.
 

GrowNYC Youth WFD Workshops: Food Justice and Countermarketing

When: September 20th, 5pm – 6:30 pm PDT
Where: Virtual
 Hosted by: GrowNYC

GrowNYC’s Youth Workforce Development program continues to provide meaningful work experience and wraparound professional development for young people. In this program, young adults (16-19 yrs) will gain a deeper understanding of how food, health and environment intersect – and their ability to affect positive change.

This event is limited to ANY youth between the ages of 16-19, GrowNYC staff and our external partners.

Are there healthy food options available in your community? What is the connection between healthy food access and the health of our communities? GrowNYC leads an eye-opening discussion of the inequities in our food system and engages young people in understanding the food industry’s profit motivations. Youth staff will be introduced to the concepts of targeted advertising, racial / ethnic analyses of food environments, and food marketing. Unlike traditional health education, which often tells you what not to do, food countermarketing urges the public not to be deceived by junk food marketers who relentlessly market unhealthful products.

Register for this event here.

Agriculture and Food Systems Employment Opportunities:

• Seasonal Farm Program Assistant, Pike Place Market 
• Red Dog Farms – Field Crew
• Oxbow Farm – Multiple
• WSDA Organic Programs – Inspectors
• 21 Acres – Multiple
• Tonnemaker – Field and Farm Stand Crew
• Cascade Markets – Market Manager
• Carnation Farms – Director of Sustainable Agriculture
• Common Ground Farms – Assistant Camp Director
• Kirsop Farm – Veggie Crew
• Pacific Coast Harvest – Food Aggregator and Driver
• Seattle Neighborhoods Farmers Market – Farmers Market Manager

Food Access Resources

The UW Farm donates regularly to the UW Food Pantry. During peak season we also donate to nearby food banks. The links below are resources to help you or someone you know with food access.  

• UW Food Pantry: The UW Food Pantry | Any Hungry Husky (washington.edu)
• Northwest Harvest Food Donation sites: Public Drop Sites – Northwest Harvest
• University District Food Bank: Donate Food and Items – University District Food Bank (udistrictfoodbank.org)
• Food Lifeline: Volunteer – Food Lifeline

Help The Farm Grow!

Every year, we have the capacity to grow more food and increase our educational and research program at the UW, but not without your support. Every contribution goes to work immediately, helping us better serve students. Your support can sustain our momentum and help seed new opportunities for student internships, academic work, and future growth. Please consider making a gift to the Farm online

Copyright © 2022 The UW Farm, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
The UW Farm
3501 NE 41st St, 
Seattle, WA 98105

On campus mailbox
Box 354115

NEW email address:
uwfarm@uw.edu