The Honey Issue, A Peak Inside

An ancient ingredient, honey is valued across cultures and continents. In Tanzania, honey gatherers risk their lives crawling up sky-high trees to reach buzzing hives. Beekeepers hold sacred their supplies, and grades of honey range in price from reasonable to expensive.

In The Honey Issue, we explore all aspects of the golden liquid, from recipes, to history, to tutorials on things like making mead.

This recipe for Goat Cheese and Blackberry Tartlets uses honey in one of its most enjoyable and classic applications, drizzled over top of a crunchy, sweet/savory bite-size treat. Others, such as “Bee-Stung Cake” and “Za’tar-Baked Cauliflower with Pine Nuts” teach sweet and savory uses.

Articles explore the variations in honey. From the layers of a hive, to different types of bees, to varieties of honey across the globe.

Commonly used as a sweetener to replace sugar, the thick viscosity of honey changes the dough/batter it is added to. In these cookies, the floral notes of honey are complemented and brought forward by the floral notes of the orange blossom.

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It’s an interesting ingredient with a long history and list of applications explored in the 100 pages that make up the issue. There is a deep well of exploration out there and we’ve just scratched the surface. But we hope, with these articles, tutorials and recipes, that your interest in the “nectar of the gods” is sparked, and your taste buds tantalized.

Pick up a copy of The Honey Issue here.

A Recipe for Lemony Whipped Feta from the Alliums Issue

You may not be familiar with the term “alliums,” but you certainly are with alliums themselves. Alliums are the family of plants containing onions, shallots, garlic, ramps, scapes, chives, scallions, and leeks. All have a bulb base with an umbel flower and both are edible. One allium or another forms the base of almost every dish worldwide, making it a perfect ingredient to dive deep into.

In the issue there are mentions of ancient Egypt, Greece, Sweet Onions in Maui, Growing, Curing and Drying your own, among many other things. Below is a recipe from the issue for a Lemony-Whipped Feta Dip with Charred Scallions. It’s a modern take on the Calçotada, an annual event in Valls, Catalonia, Spain. A calçot is a milder onion more suited to roasting and charring. In this tradition celebrating the calçot harvest, the onions are grilled, wrapped in newspaper and served on terra cotta tiles where they are peeled and eaten with your hands. Romesco sauce is used for dipping and accompanied by plenty of red wine and bread. Following the calçots, a feast of roasted lamb and sausage with white beans and dessert of oranges with cava conclude the event. This version uses common scallions found at any market, charring them under the broiler to dip in a bright, lemony buttermilk and black-pepper dip. Read on for the recipe.

Charred scallions, tart lemon, and salty feta go together swimmingly. Alliums grow mellower as they cook. The chemical irritant known as syn-propanethial-S-oxide stimulates the eyes’ lachrymal glands so they release tears and breaks down the pungency of the onion. Broiling or blackening takes an allium to the most extreme opposite, meeting a mellow, oniony flavor with a charred one.

Lemony-Whipped Feta with Charred Scallions

black pepper, lemon, olive oil

1 1/2 lemons

1 bunch scallions

1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

14 ounces feta cheese, broken into large pieces

2 ounces cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black 

pepper, plus more for garnish

1 tablespoon hot water

1. Heat a broiler. Line a sheet pan with foil. Juice 1 lemon and set aside. Cut the remaining 1/2 lemon into 3 or 4 thin slices. 

2. In a medium bowl combine the lemon slices, scallions and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Place on a sheet pan with the scallions and broil until blackened, about 7-9 minutes for the scallions and an additional 5 minutes for the lemon slices. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool slightly. 

3. In a food processor, add the feta, cream cheese, remaining olive oil, reserved lemon juice, pepper, and hot water. Puree until very smooth. 

4. Chop the scallions into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces. Stir into the whipped feta. Transfer to a bowl. 

5. Chop the charred lemon slices in half. Garnish the whipped feta with the lemon slices and a crack of black pepper.

Copper River Salmon & Wild Watercress

Wild Alaskan Copper River Salmon basted in Whole-Grain Mustard and our own Big Leaf Maple Syrup over a salad of foraged things (details below), & pea tendrils from the garden.

Today started with a bike ride through berry thickets so thick it felt a little like a car wash at points. The sun was shining, the greens were lush and the first, hard little green berries were poking their heads out of just-fallen blossoms. Sitting here, a few hours later, the rain is falling in a thick blanket, quieting the forest. It's the end of Spring, and summer is just around the corner. Time to relish these last few weeks before a new season unfolds, including gathering the last tender spring greens for a fine, foraged meal. 

A while back I became familiar with Drifter's Fish, the husband and wife team (Nelly & Michael), that make up the small Salmon fishing operation based out of Cordova, Alaska. There was something about their brand that, before I even got my hands on some, I knew it would be pure and delicious. Nelly, having been raised in a fishing family, went to college in Seattle where she studied Art History. After earning her degree, she realized the boat was where she always wanted to be, so she went back, and continues to use her art and design skills in their beautiful branding. The same can be said for Michael, and I love that these two decided to turn off the outlined path and choose to spend their time doing what they truly love, something that is all too often dangerously forgotten in our world. I also like that they are a husband and wife team, who, in the off season, road trip in their van. 

Walking the trails of our property.

On their instagram, Nelly posts whispy images out at sea, drifting into the fog, and impressive silver-skinned catches moments out of the water. We have a shared love of places like Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, and an aching to be in them, and it's something I find reflected throughout the company. An avid forager, I've picked up some clever ideas from them (such as whizzing maple blossoms into a pesto)- something I'm always on the lookout for. 

Collecting Salmon Berry Shoots & Flowers.

A few weeks ago, we met up for a bite to eat at Oddfellows Cafe. Shortly after, Nelly offered me some beautiful fish from their CSF (Community Supported Fishery) Program. Like a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), the CSF is a subscription-based service delivering beautiful, Wild Alaskan Salmon to pick-up locations. It's a fantastic program, especially for those who, like me, can be just out of reach of fine seafood. Meant to connect you to your fisherman, this program creates a bond between our food, those who bring it us and the places it comes from. There is nothing like knowing to understand what a feat this is, and to realize the entirety of the chain of events. 

A blackberry flower amoungst False Lily of The Valley.

Foraging scissors.

This recipe started with the salmon. Something familiar and ordinary- salmon with maple syrup- felt special with the PNW Big Leaf Maple Syrup we tapped ourselves from our Maple Trees. Mixed with whole-grain mustard and blended with Elderflower Syrup for a floral, spring note, along with verjus to cut the sweetness, this salmon gets bathed in a thick, sticky syrup that builds and glazes the flesh as it cooks. I love to serve fish over a bed of the wild watercress that grows in one of the creeks on our property, but I tend to think most often of whitefish. I decided to take a chance with the Salmon, and I'm glad I did. The peppery, crunchy green pairs nicely with the sweet, fatty fish. Along with a handful of tender Salmon Berry shoots and flowers, some buttery toasted marcona almonds and shaved parma, I couldn't help but throw in the pea tendrils I'd recently thinned from the garden. Foraged plants can have bold and unique flavors- peppery, tart and even astringent, so it can be a good idea to balance these flavors against something warm and familiar, like maple syrup. 

You can re-create this recipe at home without foraging or tapping your own maples, of course, but should you choose to venture for wild watercress there are a few things to be cautious of. Growing in streams, watercress is a fascinating plant. One of the first plants to be adapted for domestication, it's also one of the most nutritious. Because it grows in water, you want to make sure to clean it extremely thoroughly and to only pick from fresh, running waterways with clean sources. You also want to be extremely careful of Poisonous Hemlock. Growing throughout watercress, this stuff is no joke. Like foxglove, it disrupts the central nervous system and can easily result in respiratory collapse and death. In the late summer, the watercress itself changes shape- the leaves begin to thin and lengthen and white flowers start to blossom at the tops- similar to the appearance of hemlock. Scary, I know, which is why I always bring a trusty book with me when foraging and, in any doubt, pass. You can break off hemlock and look at the inside of the stem structure to determine the plant if you are unsure. Hemlock will have a complicated geometric pattern whereas watercress will be hollow, but usually if I'm that uncertain I'll look for something else. It's also much easier to forage watercress in early spring when the plant bears little resemblance to hemlock and is tender and less peppery to boot. 

Salmon Berry Flower.

Gathering at our river.

Copper River Salmon & Wild Watercress Salad

 

Ingredients:

2-3 Drifter’s Fish Salmon fillets (6-8 oz. each), thawed

4 tablespoons whole grain mustard (I love Maille brand)

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

5 tablespoons Verjus

1 tablespoon Elderflower Syrup

Sea salt

Large bundle wild (or store-bought) watercress

Small handful Salmonberry blossoms & shoots

A generous handful of Marcona almonds (I like Matiz brand)

Wedge Parmesan Cheese

A couple tablespoons of cold-pressed olive oil, to finish

Fresh-cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. Move your oven rack to two notches from the top and turn the broiler to high. Set your thawed fillets out to come to room temperature (this helps the salmon to cook evenly throughout, so the warmer outside areas don't overcook while the cooler inside is still raw). 

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, maple syrup, verjus and elderflower syrup. Pour into a small, heavy bottomed pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat. You’re going to want to reduce this mixture so it will be here for a good 12-15 minutes. It’ll bubble and become hot so keep an eye on it and keep it moving with a whisk to avoid burning.

3. Once the sauce has been reducing for about 10 minutes, place the salmon on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or foil, skin side down. Grab a pinch of salt between your fingers and, holding your hand a good 6 inches or more above the salmon, sprinkle across the surface in an even layer. Repeat with the remaining fillets.

4. Returning to your sauce bubbling on the stovetop, spoon ⅓ of the mixture evenly over the salmon and place in the heated oven. Return the pan to it's burner and set the timer for 2 minutes while you continue to stir the sauce.

5. When the timer goes off, quickly baste half of the remaining sauce over the fillets and return to the oven for another 2 minutes. 

6. At this point, you can take a quick break to thoroughly wash the watercress, snapping off any stems that seem large and leafless. Use very cold water and place back in the fridge. I don’t generally wash the salmon berry flowers, as the petals will fall off and I forage mine from my own property but use your best judgement here.

7. When the timer goes off, take your sauce mixture (which should be even thicker now), and spoon the remainder onto the salmon. The salmon should now be cooked. You want it to be just a touch raw looking on the inner-most part, as the residual heat will continue to cook the salmon after it's out of the oven, finishing it off nicely without overcooking. If it looks more than a touch raw, return for another 1-2 minutes. Set aside. 

8. Place a small, dry skillet over a burner on low and toss in the marcona almonds. Lightly toast for just a couple of minutes, shaking the pan a couple times to toast all sides, and remove.

9.  Arrange the cold watercress over a platter or cutting board and sprinkle with the salmon berry shoots & flowers. Sprinkle the almonds over top, and use a vegetable peeler to shave pieces of parmesan over the almonds - I like to do about a handful. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the olive oil. Sprinkle another hefty pinch of salt over top, along with a few good grinds of pepper. Carefully slide the salmon off of the mat or foil and onto the watercress platter. Serve with chilled iced tea or white wine on your porch/yard/picnic blanket. 

Rose Geranium Cake with Rose Geranium Buttercream Frosting

This recipe is one taken from the FLORA issue. The entire issue, being focused on cooking with edible flowers, explores what I call "A Study of Nature's Buds & Blossoms,"  and takes a sweeter approach (It's the first and only issue focused exclusively on desserts). This issue was the perfect vehicle for me to play out a fantasy of photographing flowery things, which had been on my list for a long time. Really, it was my mother's idea, and when she suggested it, I thought "of course!." And so I dove in with Lilac Sugar Doughnuts, Crystalized Orchids, Candied Flowering Herbs and Rose-Scented Pavlovas swirled with streaky jam. Dried Rose petals and falling lilacs scented my house for a few months. 

As always, I wanted to make it as useful as possible, so I began the issue with a spread of edible flower botanical drawings (both sweet and savory),- from Begonias, Borage & Bergamot, to Chicory, Okra and Mustard. Many common plants have edible flowers that are often unrecognized or overlooked and letting your herbs flower can be one of the easiest and loveliest ways to discover this. In fact, often when I'm looking for edible flowers to cook with- which can be very hard and expensive to come by- I head to my local nursery to pick up starts. Believe it or not, this is often the cheapest and easiest way to go about it. Plus, you get the added benefit of adding the plant to your garden and producing your own flowers the next go-around.  

When it comes to cooking with flowers, it's understandable to be confused as to where to start and worried about how not to "over-flower" your food (no one likes their desert to taste like perfume). These flavors are infused with techniques such as steeping in water or cream that is added to a batter or whipped into a frosting, or wrapping a stick of butter and letting it sit overnight so the oils transfer. Throwing petals in sugar so the oils transfer is another great way to get these flavors into your dishes. 

Being particularly forgiving, sweet recipes are a great place to learn the process of infusing flavors and I built this issue around learning techniques through simple recipes you can make then use to make more complicated recipes. For example, Lilac Sugar is used to make Lilac Sugar Doughnuts and Crystalized Flowers are used to make Iced Sugar Cookies with Crystalized Flowers. All in all the issue includes twelve recipes, including a fanciful spread of five floral cakes, a book guide (one of my favorites yet!), a restaurant guide, and an interview with a florist, all relating back to the floral theme. 

Because, as Emma Goldman once wrote:

"I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck." 

Rose Geranium Cake with Rose Geranium Buttercream Frosting

Makes 1 two-layer cake

I love this cake. It's beautiful, feminine and has macarons on it. It also really delivers in terms of flavor. I always imagine it at tea parties, garden parties and in other, quite ladylike appearances. Rose Geranium and other scented geraniums are available at many nurseries this time of year, making it the perfect spring cake for your upcoming lunch, garden party or gathering with friends. 

Ingredients: 

Cake

18 Rose Geranium leaves

2 sticks butter, unsalted

3 cups all purpose flour, plus more

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 cup whole milk

1 vanilla bean (I love Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans)

1 3/4 cup sugar

6 large egg whites

Frosting

4 Rose Geranium leaves

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Pinch of sea salt

1/3 cup cold water

5 drops red food coloring

3 drops orange bitters

To Make: 

Cake

1. The night before you plan to make the cake, rub 6 of the Geranium leaves to release their oils, wrap around the sticks of butter, warp again in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. 

2. The next day when you are ready to make the cake, let the butter reach room temperature and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 8" cake pans. Rub the remaining Rose Geranium leaves with your fingers and line the bottom of the cake pans with them. 

3. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. In another medium bowl, combine the milk, water and vanilla bean seeds. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl and hand beater, unwrap the leaves from the butter and cream together with the sguar until fluffy. Beat in the egg whites one at a time. Add small amounts of the flour mixture, alternating with the milk mixture, until incorporated. 

4. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake pulls out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. 

Frosting

1. The night before, combine the Rose Geranium leaves with the sugar in an airtight container. Let sit overnight. 

2. Remove the leaves and mix the sugar with the egg whites, cream of tartar, salt and water in a large heat-proof bowl and beat for one minute. Place the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water and whip with a whisk until you see stiff peaks. Remove from the heat and whip in the food coloring and bitters. Place 1 completely cooled cake on a serving dish, frost, top with other cake and frost all over. Decorate as you please with flowers and macarons.  

Swanky New Site

Hi there,

I'm Shannon and I create and publish Honest magazine, from developing recipes, to photography, to writing. Honest is a project I started when I first launched my career into food and travel photography in the Pacific Northwest where I live and work in a small mountain town at the foot of the cascade mountains.

In the last year, things have been changing. Since 2013, Honest Magazine has been a small quarterly food and lifestyle magazine with a varied and interesting collection of readers from Norway, to Poland, to Brazil. For the last five and a half years I've put all of my focus into the print magazine- finessing ideas, words and photographs. Long have I ached to build a hub to house and share all that I've had the pleasure of learning through the issues. Honest's little black book of world-class restaurants- some highly regarded, some in crumbling brick buildings in the side of a remote mountain. 

The Journal is a wonderful new place to express thoughts and ideas and share the volumes of tips, tricks and tutorials that have been filed away. Having a strict theme for each issue is an excellent exercise in creating freedom and beauty within restraint, but it often means tucking away so many unique and creative ideas that don't fit the mold. The Journal is the place for all of those things to flow freely. 

One of my long term goals has been to share more with the community through workshops. Last June I finally took the plunge for the Sweet & Honest Food Photography and Styling workshop with Sweetgrass Food Co. With food and drinks provided by Sweetgrass, the workshop took place in their beautiful, whitewashed building in Downtown Seattle. Students who work in creative fields, to aspiring bloggers, to hobbyists looking to have fun all came together to learn and explore. The class turned out to be a huge success and with positive feedback I've decided to add more! Pulling out ideas and curriculums I've had tucked away for years, I'm looking forward to brushing the dust off those papers and joining together for more fun and explorations of rustic crafts (woodcrafts, jewelry making, prints), cooking (cooking intuitively, edible flowers, garden to table harvest), gardening (expanded uses for your garden harvest), and foraging (there is no such thing as a weed). 

One of the greatest influencers of perspective is travel. Food. Culture. Recreation. Style. Everywhere you go, everything you see- affects you. The places shared here aren't focused on the new or the most happening- they're focused on the story of the place. What makes it romantic, sensual, vibrant. Streets to stroll and meals to have for certain moods are included. 

A cookbook roundup spread from the "CURE" issue.

Philosophical author Charlie Jones once said, "You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the places you go, people you meet and the books you read.” There are books in this world that reach deep down to your very core. They are few and far between and worth sharing. Ernest Hemingway, James Jones, J.D. Salinger. Included in the classics are those cookbooks that feed the soul. Julia Child, Marcella Hazan, Yvette Van Bowen and numerous other paper-bound treasures.

And last but not least, perhaps my most favorite soon-to-be added is the Community section. Blogs, Resources, Publications and Groups you can visit, join and turn to for help and inspiration. Because after all, what are we without each other? 

So check back soon for these brimming additions and sign up for the mailing list at the bottom of the page to get updates on blog posts, new issues, workshops and join the Honest community. 

Cheers,

Shannon