Visiting the Main Market Co-op

On Tuesday I attended the official ribbon cutting event for Main Market. I’d already visited a couple times to shop, and on this occasion I was there to shoot pictures and collect sound for a Soundslides presentation.

My impressions as a shopper and (amateur) photographer were that the market has nice light and warm colors. I found the employees equally warm; they were patient with my presence and questions. One shopper, Becky, even was kind enough to let me trail her around the aisles for a couple minutes.

I’ll leave further reviewing to other reviewers.

• Main Market Co-op
  Spokane Food Blog | January 22, 2010
  While there were some understandable small hiccups during our visit, we’re left with an early impression that is very positive.
• Main Market Co-operative is now open in downtown Spokane
  www.downtoearthnw.com | January 30, 2010
  The fact that the parking lot was full and the line waiting for a space was two cars deep was a clue. The word is out. Main Market is open for business.
• The Main Market Co-Op in Spokane opens
  The Inlander | January 25, 2010
  The co-op had its soft opening on Jan. 21 and is now open daily from 10 am to 7 pm. A full week of grand opening events will take place Feb. 15-20.

Wrapping up in style (Spokavore: Day 5)

The end is in sight, and I’m about to sleep my way to the finish line.

My final meal of the five-day challenge, at Sante, was one for the ages. Robert Karl claret. Charcuterie plate. Berkshire pork chop with onion brulee and Berkshire demi. Basil, cinnamon and brown sugar ice creams. Chocolate mouse cake. Mini tarts.

Before anybody protests, I’ll quote the fifth rule of the competition:

When eating at restaurants they should predominantly use local products. For example: Coffee Social, Sante, Mizuna, Latah Bistro, etc.

The wine and pork (Rocky Ridge Ranch) were truly local, and the sauces on the main course and the meats on the charcuterie plate were house made, as were the desserts. Looks like everything checks out. It was my first meal out during the competition, and it was a decadent experience.

I hear a couple people called it quits tonight, and Bart, who bailed on Thursday, threw out a valiant temptation.

It’s been a fun and delicious five days, if not exactly a challenge, and I look forward to buying local when I can. (Oh, hey, check out this handy guide.)

Spokavore: Day 4

I’m still in it, and how. And I feel like I got a pass on this one.

Breakfast and lunch were much like the past three days. Bumblebar, fruit, Doma coffee. Lunch was all about the Bouzies Bakery bread, Small Planet tofu and more fruit.

But dinner. Hoo boy. I was treated to some delicious 150-mile-sourced tapas-style treats and Laughing Dog brews from a couple of Spokane friends, not to mention a Zags game and the documentary “Beer Wars.”

So what if the Zags lost? I’m in a position to finish the challenge. Just one more day to go.

Post script: I want to give a shout out to a couple of Spokane food folks who have recently followed by alternate Twitter account: Janice Raschko (@oneworldspokane) and Keith Rashko (@checkerboardtav). I love the mission and variety of One World Spokane. And I’m excited to see what they do with their new acquisition of the Checkerboard Tavern.

Post post script: I have a food-related Twitter account, @somefoodstuff. I reserve @andrewzahler account for mostly journalism-related content.

Spokavore: Day 3

Have no fear, I’m still in the hunt. I’m just a little late posting because I got sucked into”Inglorious Inglourious Basterds” last night up until bed time.

In a hurry yesterday morning, I settled for some Doma coffee with Spokane Family Farms milk and an orange from Fresh Abundance. Lunch was the sandwich I described Tuesday, leftover delicata squash and an apple. A Bumblebar and some tangerines served as snacks.

Dinner was a lot of fun. Imagine a stir fry without sauce. Dull? Uninspired? Not at all.

1. Start by frying up some Small Planet Tofu (I used the garlic and herb flavor).
2. In a separate pan, toss in a load of onions and crushed garlic cloves. Let those go for about five minutes.
3. Add sliced celery, carrots and fresh ginger. Salt and pepper the lot.
4. When the celery starts to look good, toss in some snow peas and baby bok choy (cut into two-inch pieces). Add a little water and cover to steam these latest additions for three to four minutes.
5. Throw in the tofu to mix.

Between the garlic, onion, ginger, celery, salt and pepper, there’s enough flavors mingling here that I didn’t even miss the soy sauce I would typically add. My dining partner opted for some, but she’s not in the Spokavore challenge.

I was a lazy blogger and didn’t get a photo of my creation. Trust me when I say it was great.

Normally I’d serve this up with rice, but I didn’t want to suffer the fate of Rachel. In hindsight, I wish I’d thrown some yam (Fresh Abundance) into the mix to give the stir fry a little more substance.

Spokavore: Day 2

Meet my new best friend, this bottle of olive oil.

I splurged and picked up a bottle of Coeur d’Alene Olive Oil Co.’s garlic-infused reserve oil from the Rocket Market to expand and improve my cooking options. Last night I used it to saute onions, garlic and potatoes. Tonight I’m using it as a simple dressing on a simple spinach salad. This is nice olive oil with a robust flavor, and what I don’t use in the next few days will be a welcome addition to my regular cooking.

My main meal of the day was a lamb sirloin chop with steamed Yukon gold potatoes and baked delicata squash, paired with Arbor Crest Cliff House Red (food sources, respectively: Olsen Farms in Colville, Main Market, Main Market). This was my first crack at cooking a real cut of quality meat, and aside from some smoke, the simple broiling method I tried produced a delightfully tender result. The lamb didn’t require anything more than salt and pepper. (Aside: My poor mother is still not quite used to me, a vegetarian for six or so years, going on about the tenderness of lamb.)

A few points of order: What have I been eating for breakfast and lunch, you may ask? Well, for the former it’s been rolled Lentz Farms emmer flakes drenched in honey from the last competition and a generous splash of Spokane Family Farms milk. A little fruit and some Doma Urth blend coffee rounds out the meal.

For lunch, I’ve been enjoying a sandwich of spinach and Small Planet curry tofu spread between two slices of Bouzies Bakery whole wheat bread. In some ways this contest might be dangerous: I’m not sure I can go back to Orowheat or Franz bread from the grocery store after the Bouzies experience.

Finally, I got to spend a couple hours today at Main Market, shooting photos and recording sounds from the official ribbon cutting. Everyone was very nice and tolerated my inquisitive presence.

Post script: Has anyone else noticed that the guy on the Doma logo looks a lot like one of my fellow contestants? No wonder he loves the stuff so much.

Spokavore: Day 1

From now until 11:59 p.m. Friday, I’ll be competing in 7vs7: Spokavore. The idea? Well, I’ll have to turn to my pal Bart at Down to Earth NW, who summed up the spirit of this challenge quite nicely: “highlighting local, sustainable, and damn good food options.” Check out the rules if you need to know more.

I’m still well in the contest after a day. I don’t feel like writing everything I ate today, so let me assure you I followed the rules. Dinner was the highlight: a scramble of Rocky Ridge Ranch eggs (Reardan, Wash., available at Rocket Market and Main Market), garlic farmstead cheese from Burgess Dairy in Priest River, Idaho (available at Huckleberries), and vegetables from Main Market and Fresh Abundance.

I didn’t do a Day Zero post, so click past the jump if you want to know more about my preparations.

Read the rest of this entry »

Baked potato photo

Here’s a baked russet potato I got from Fresh Abundance. I topped it with garlic, onion and spinach sauteed in olive oil plus freshly grated Parmesan cheese and cracked sea salt and pepper. I took the photo with my iPhone.

Prettying up the new digs

You found me. Welcome.

I’ve been accused of being a foodie and a blogger, sometimes in the same sentence. But I don’t think I earn that title very often. Which is why I’m calling this an occasional blog.

I’ve got a record of competing in food challenges, as the posts below will show, and guess what? There’s another food challenge coming up: Spokavore Round 2. I’ll be updating my progress here.

And who knows? I may find the initiative to continue writing about food when that competition wraps up. Consider yourself warned.

Locavore challenge, Day Five

Yeah, I know I’m out, but I just couldn’t resist sharing a photo of these beauties. I roasted them following directions here.

Enjoy.

Locavore challenge, Day 4

Breakfast: Cooked rolled emmer with milk and blueberries (yes, I’m mixing it up); hard-boiled egg.

Lunch: Leftover everything I’ve eaten in the past three days, including mashed taters, ground beef, corn-onion-tomato saute and broccoli

Snacks: Hard-boiled egg; filberts; nectarine.

Dinner: Last of the ground beef; corn on the cob; tomato salad (yellow pear tomatoes, green onion, jalapeno, garlic, parsley).

Dessert: Blueberry-huckleberry smoothie.

The evening’s entertainment included the free music at Pig Out in the Park with a friend. At about 9:30 I got texts from Remi and Geneva, who wanted to meet up after watching the film “Fresh” at the Magic Lantern. They wandered over, and the three of us proceeded to polish off a plate of Azar’s hummus and gyro meat.

Cough.

This is an example of what we call “burying the lead” in my trade. I’m out. And so are Remi and Geneva. We went out en masse. And we don’t regret it.

Suffice it to say I’d had my fill and had convinced myself that being a pure locavore is a challenging, albeit fun, business. When I heard that two of my competitors would also fall on their swords in the interest of salt and exotic ingredients (tahini!), I really didn’t have much resistance to put up.

As I write, I’m roasting locally grown tomatoes, garlic, potatoes and onions with locally grown rosemary and oregano – and a luscious sprinkling of olive oil and kosher salt. I plan to eat my regular breakfast of rolled emmer in the morning and polish off the last of that smoothie. I think I’ll eat some of these roasted veggies for lunch, and in the evening I’ll make myself a nice all-local scramble with the addition of a little olive oil and salt. And then I’ll enjoy a beer or two on the  FBC Spokane Full Moon Fiasco ride. Thus it will be a mostly local day. Not because I have to, but because I can, and, with a couple crucial additions, I know everything will be delicious.

This has been a fun, challenging week. This contest has drawn a lot of queries from my co-workers – skeptical journalists to the end – and I’ve enjoyed talking about it with them. Several have graciously given me items from their gardens, and I will enjoy them no less for the addition of salt and oil.

A few other competitors fell by the wayside today as well. Keep your eye on Spokane Food Blog to track the remaining five.