‘Where’re you going with that,” my Dad asked.
My uncurled fingers exposed two crumpled pieces of foil from the bottles of wine I had just uncorked.
“I’m throwing them out.”
“I recycle those.”
Of course he does. He also washes and reuses (and reuses! and reuses!) every plastic food container he buys; rips paper towels into quarters so he won’t waste an entire segment on a small task (ditto with paper napkins); won’t toss plastic picnic utensils in the trash; saves up his newspapers for the Boy Scouts; bundles plastic grocery bags together for reuse; you get the idea.
At 86, you might say that Will Roberts now has time to focus on such things. But Dad’s always been following us around turning the lights out, not wasting his food, buying in bulk and giving half away.
He was raised by a Depression-era mother, which imprinted him with a keen sense of thrift. But what’s been good for his pocketbook is now, it turns out, the very thing our planet needs to stay healthy.
After all, waste is waste. Whether electricity, water, or food, if you use more than you need we all pay for it in the long run
It’s tempting to deny stewardship of our streams and creatures since there’s such an overwhelmingly big picture to consider.
But there is a place where you can take a stand for helping the environment, in and around your very own kitchen.
All you need is a desire to leave the Earth in a little better shape than when you arrived.
So here is my ever-evolving list of ideas to consider. I’ve shared many of them before, but they bear repeating in a climate where more people are trying to take action:
And while we’re on the subject of seasons, consider the philosophies of the Chefs Collaborative, which is a network of chefs, restaurateurs and other culinary professionals promoting sustainable cuisine through education and the support of farmers.
To learn more about their goals, go to www.chefscollaborative.org.
One of their stated principles is the belief that “Good food begins with unpolluted air, land and water, environmentally sustainable farming and fishing, and humane animal husbandry.”
The Chefs Collaborative promotes the philosophy of using locally grown foods, particularly in-season local produce, but also regional specialties from the sea, rivers and ranches.
You’ll discover that your frequent visits to a farmers market has a more immediate pay-off than your other environmentally sound practices.
After all, when you bite into a locally grown cucumber or peach or melon or carrot, you’re reminded of how much flavor food can have when it’s grown nearby and isn’t suffering from jet lag.
In the interest of thinking globally and acting locally, my recipes for this week take advantage of regional and seasonal ingredients. Pacific shrimp are now in season, and there are plenty of lovely greens to bring into the kitchen.
Rhubarb cake with sugared hazelnut topping
1cup chopped hazelnuts
1/2cup granulated sugar
6tablespoons butter, divided
1teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2cups packed light brown sugar
1large egg
1cup plain low-fat yogurt
2cups all purpose flour
1teaspoon baking soda
1/2teaspoon salt
1pound rhubarb, cut into 1-inch chunks
Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking pan; set aside.
Prepare the topping by combing the nuts with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and the cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.
For the cake, beat together the brown sugar with the remaining 4 tablespoons of softened butter and the egg until well blended. Beat in the yogurt. In another bowl, combine the flour with the baking soda and salt, then add to the butter and sugar mixture; stir just to blend. Fold in the rhubarb and spread the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle on the topping.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the center springs back when gently pressed. Makes 8 to 12 servings.
Adapted from “Recipes from America’s Small Farms,” by Joanne Lamb Hays and Lori Stein
The Pacific shrimp season started in April and will wind down the end of October. So this is the perfect time to take advantage of this wonderful part of the Northwest bounty.
Tangy Pacific shrimp chowder
3russet (baking) potatoes
1/4cup butter
1large onion, chopped
2cups finely chopped celery
21/2cups light cream (half and half)
1cup dry white wine
1 1/2pounds cooked Pacific shrimp, divided
Salt and white pepper
Parsley and chopped green onion for garnish
Peel the potatoes, cut into thirds and boil until soft, then drain well and mash (you will have about 3 cups of mashed potatoes); set aside.
In a large, heavy pot, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and celery and saute until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the mashed potatoes and light cream, then add the wine, salt to taste, and pepper. Reduce heat to medium low and gently reheat the soup, stirring frequently. This soup base may be prepared up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated.
Just before serving, stir in 1 pound of the shrimp and simmer gently for 5 minutes. If soup is too thick, thin with additional light cream. Garnish each serving with the remaining shrimp, as well as a sprinkling of parsley and green onion.
Yields 6 to 8 servings
Adapted from “From Portland’s Palate,” by the Junior League of Portland
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contact her by e-mail at janrd@proaxis.com.
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