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.

Spring Foraging in the PNW

We just rolled back into town after a (long overdue) vacation, including skiing and climbing throughout the North Cascades and the Methow. Having recently been discharged from physical therapy for a shoulder repair surgery with a strict recovery lasting 5 1/2 months, I was more than ready to move in the mountains again, and this trip centered around that (I'll be sharing more on the places we went and wildflowers we saw over on my Instagram if you're curious). 

The exceptionally warm winter this year coupled with the first signs of wildflowers reminded me that summer is coming on quick, and I wanted to share Spring's wild bounty with you before the season shifts and a host of new plants push their way to the surface.

Spring brings with it many of the most well-known plants to forage- tender greens, fiddlehead ferns, dandelions and the ever-popular stinging nettle. Many more varieties abound, and many of these plants have edible parts beyond common knowledge (including shoots, flowers, and roots). Recently I spoke with Hilary Dahl on the Seattle Urban Farm Company podcast Encyclopedia Botanica about cooking from your garden and Spring crops. I went into more detail on the many edible parts of these plants at their various stages, and the versatility and expanded harvest we can get from remembering this (listen here for the full episode). The same can be said of many wild varieties. Young shoots arrive prior to their fruit, expanding the length of harvest and, often offer a subtler version of their (sometimes intense) final product. Flowers can be found where birds are quick to grab berries, and experiencing a plant at its various stages builds an understanding of its life cycle. Various Native American tribes recognized this expanded life cycle and utilized it heavily.

Below I've pulled out a few of my favorites, along with notes on flavors and culinary uses. Click on the plant name to pull up expanded images and feel free to leave a comment with any questions. 

Salmon Berry Shoots & Flowers

Besides the sherbet-hued berry, both the shoots and flowers of the salmonberry plant are edible and quite pleasant to eat. Simply pinch the young shoots where they meet the vine (careful of baby thorns), making sure to leave no less than 40% behind to allow the plant to regenerate. Delicate magenta flowers can be eaten whole and are best pinched along with their leaves to preserve the fragile petals. I used both the shoots and the flowers in a salad recipe in my recent Copper River Salmon & Wild Watercress post, along with more photos of the plant. This is how I most commonly enjoy them, and, being so delicate, I don't really like to cook them myself, though a stir-fry wouldn't hurt, nor would whizzing them into a pesto. Mostly though, I find them beautiful, and I love for the food I eat to resemble itself, so tossing into a pile of spring greens, dressing in a fresh herb vinaigrette and shaving some pecorino over top does it for me. 

*I read in Pacific Northwest Foraging the common assumption that Salmonberries are so named for their fish-like hue may not be the true origin. The use of the shoots to cut the oily flavor of salmon by Pacific Northwest Natives lends another theory. 

Stinging Nettles

Perhaps the most popular and well-known plant on the list, stinging nettles are familiar to the forager and bare-footed kid alike. Many childhoods are painted with memories of brazenly blazing through thickets, only to find oneself covered in itchy, stinging welts moments later (one of the beauties of not knowing any better is the balls it gives us). This is easily avoided with a pair of garden gloves and a quick boil or blanch before eating. Nettles are extremely versatile and wonderfully delicious. A specialty when restaurants can get their hands on them, they can be enjoyed simply sautéed in a pan with olive oil and sherry and dusted with salt and pepper, woven into a frittata or quiche with asparagus, or folded into homemade pasta.

*An interesting side note, stinging nettles are just one of numerous varieties of the nettle family which can be foraged. 

Siberian Miners Lettuce

Siberian Miner's Lettuce is a great wild green to have in your back pocket. It grows en masse and is easily found in the wet, shaded soils of the Pacific Northwest. Different from true Miner's Lettuce, Siberian Miner's Lettuce can be somewhat confusing due to its variation in appearance. Some have wider, squatter leaves that grow lower to the ground with a slightly more "Kelly-Green" appearance and small white flowers, others have stems that reach elegantly up from the ground to support similar white flowers. Light and subtle in flavor, it can easily be worked into many dishes, including salads, scrambles, pestos and as a bed for chicken or fish. I've had it as a garnish over halibut and draped over a piece of foie gras. Use anywhere you would use spinach or arugula and consider subbing in place of endive and butter lettuce as well. 

False Lily of the Valley

Not to be confused with true Lily of The Valley, False Lily of The Valley is an edible tender green growing en mass in wet, shady soils. Often confused with wild ginger, the heart-shaped leaves make wonderful bases for salads, are lovely in scrambles, and go just about anywhere spinach or arugula would go (pestos, pizzas, stir fry). They also pair exceptionally well with seafood. Gentle in flavor and texture, I often gather these to balance and mellow out the more domineering flavors of other foraged plants. Since they grow in large quantities, they are dependable when I'm looking to gather some bulk. Later on in summer, strings of small, translucent red berries resembling bog cranberries develop. If left undisturbed the berries will hang onto the plant for months, changing opacity and flavor with time. The seeds are large and I always spit them as I nibble to spread the plant.

Horsetail

Horsetail is a funny looking plant. Understandably, this turns many people off. Oddly enough the first known trees were closely related species of the horsetail, over 100 feet tall! There are two common varieties of Horsetail, often growing side-by-side near creeks or in marshy areas. Giant horsetail, with it's sturdier stem and stripy-pattern, Field Horsetail- a thinner, more delicate version lacking stripes. I find the thin, needle-like leaves quite dialed back and unobtrusive, and enjoy them mixed into a stir fry or sautéed and served with seafood (scallops would be an excellent pairing). Again, they are extremely versatile and I would incorporate them into a baked egg dish, a lively green salad with dried fruit and nuts, or a snappy ceviche in the summer. 

Wild Chocolate Mint growing in a stream.

Mint

Many varieties of mint abound across all sorts of environments. Both wild and invasive, it heartily boasts it's way to the front of the pack, choking out neighboring plants. Varieties such as peppermint, lemon balm and chocolate spring to life, calling for iced teas, Moroccan dishes, and desserts. The variety and abundance of mint means plenty of room for experimentation in the kitchen. I love to muddle some peppermint into a virgin Blackberry Mojito (a recipe from the Forage issue a few years back), and keep a pitcher of Lemon-Balm iced tea in my fridge in the dog days of summer. Chocolate mint is a fun flavor and inspires interesting combinations (Chocolate Mint Vanilla Ice Cream with Rhubarb Compote, Double-Chocolate Minted Fudge Cake). It's an easy one to spot and to apply. Just watch out for your compost if you don't want to turn your yard into a mint factory! 

There are many more varieties ready for harvest in the spring months (information on foraging spring watercress here). I encourage you to spend some time, foraging book in hand, strolling around without agenda and see what you come up with. 

Cheers, 

Shannon 

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. 

Ten Tips For Starting a Successful Garden

Nothing has been on my mind more these past number of weeks than gardening. The start of the season is so exciting- placing seed orders, trips to the nursery, deliveries of dirt and endless planning in the garden journal. Another (not that I need another), excuse to place a million holds on library books and get lost reading...

My purpose for expanding the magazine into a blog is to create a place to share useful information, tips & resources with you. I want to provide you with what you need to know, to do what you want to do. And I thought, with the time of year, gardening would be a perfect topic to kick off with. So below I've rounded up a handful of time-tested rules for the start of the season. Nothing too crazy, and nothing too long to remember, just the core essentials to get you going. Part of helping and serving is to share resources- and boy are there some excellent ones out there. So read on and get ready for sunshine.

Over at Home Base

It's been busy at our place. I've dubbed our new garden "Honest Acres," because having a name gives it authority and makes it feel established and special- all things I'm hopeful for in this space. Growing something is one of the purest forms of joy and deepest connections to the greater earth we live in. There are so many benefits to growing a plant- the practice of nurture, having faith and being rewarded for it, watching hard work pay off, bearing witness to an entire cycle of life and, of course, your own crops always taste sweeter and your flowers bloom more beautifully when you've grown them with your own two hands.

I've always enjoyed growing things. From having a tiny, rocky plot with my sister next to our mom's on my parent's property growing up, to tending some long-forgotten bulbs hiding along the side of the 100 year old house I shared with eight roommates in college, to our first little bed my husband (then boyfriend) and I shared at our tiny apartment, installing wheels on the bottom so we could chase the fleeting sun around the patio throughout the day. 

The garden has been a lot of work for us- we chose to go very big in an area that needed clearing (like, 100-year-old Cedar stumps clearing). You could do as much or as little as you like. From a seasonal herb garden in some pots on the porch or a window sill, to building and installing beds, to creating a trellised wonderland (like my neighbors). It's up to you and the opportunities are endless. 

 

10 Tips For Starting A Successful Garden

1. You will kill something and it's okay

The number one thing I hear people say is they are afraid. Afraid to kill something they planted, afraid their seeds won't come up, afraid their carrots will look funny. And that's most likely all true, but it's not something to be afraid of. We all do this, it's a part of the process- call it "garden initiation" if you like. And it's really a right of passage you have to cross before you can harvest a boastful bounty. Like anything in life, it takes time to learn and make adjustments. If you're worried your seeds won't come up, plant extra. Think you'll kill your starts? Start more so you're more likely to have some make it. As for carrots- it happens to the best of us!

2. Choose a Good Site (or Pot)

When choosing your plot, make sure you're going to get great sun. Afternoon sun is hotter than morning sun so pay attention to that, as well as the trees and buildings that will cast shade as the sun moves across the sky, drainage of the soil and access to water. One of the most surprising things I learned (that makes perfect sense), is picking a pot the right size and shape to suit the root structure of your plant. My friend Amy Pennington taught me this in her fantastic book Apartment Gardening. Just like our own bodies, plants have root systems that are different sizes and shapes. Some are low and full and some are tall and lean. Choose appropriately and remember to leave plenty of room to grow.

*A side note for raised beds: It's awfully disappointing to go through all the work of setting up a beautiful bed and watching your plants explode into a lush wonderland, only to have pests sneak up from underneath and peter-rabbit your harvest. I've known many gardeners who got by for years, even decades, before suddenly being attacked by moles, voles, mice and rats. Stop those suckers in their tracks by installing metal hardware cloth on the bottom of your beds. Hardware cloth is a sturdy, less flexible roll of wire mesh with small holes that pests can't poke through but that allow for drainage and roots to pass through. Stapling hardware cloth with quarter-inch-sized holes to the bottom of your beds before filling with soil is a momentary delay that provides a whole lot of payoff. 

3. Pay Attention To Your Soil

Second to getting great sun and making sure to water, is soil. The importance of soil cannot be understated and it's often completely ignored. If you're planting in raised beds or containers, you're generally bringing in soil and can select a suitable type for what you plan to grow. If you are gardening at ground level, testing your soil is invaluable. Many people skip it because it can cost around $50 and that sounds expensive, I know. But planting in poor soil or soil not well suited for your crops will cost you so much more in amendments, fertilizer and failed crops both in time and in $ than spending that $50 will. There is a lab that will do this for you and it's quite easy. If you have a well, you do something similar when you test your water each year. Gather some up into a little vial, mail, and get results. Then you can amend according to what you get back and what the crops you are putting in require. 

4. Choose Crops In Your Favor

What you plant and the varieties you choose will greatly effect how well your plants do. Certain plants are native to the Amazon Jungle and thus, like Jungle environments. Others thrive in the sandy desert and get bogged down in wet soil. That said, there are many things you can do to give yourself the upper hand. Many species have specific strains that are bred for hardiness, and resistance to certain pests. For example, I have a fig tree and I live in the Cascade mountains where it snows in the winter and the ground is soggy most of the year before going into a drought in the summer. Figs are thought to be native to Jordan! Pretty different environments, but my fig thrives, mostly because I specifically picked a variety bred for Chicago, where winters are harsh. Pay attention when selecting seeds and starts and look for varieties bred for your environment or areas that share the same characteristics. 

5. Use This Stuff

I hadn't heard of Endo Mycorrhizae until I got my fruit trees and it was mentioned in the paper planting packet they shipped with. A type of fungi, it's the "superfood" of new crops and transplanting. Sprinkling some onto the roots of large trees or shrubs when re-planting or a little tossed in with starts when moving to the garden helps give the plants a boost of energy and nutrients to eat to help them get established. 

6. Fertilize!

Sooo many people don't fertilize. If you think about it, fertilizer is food for your plant. Just like our own little ones get extra hungry when they're going through growth spurts, so too do our plants. So give them what they want- a big helping of something extra-nutritious like Fish and Bone Meal. Yes, it does smell like you think it would (my husband is not a fan), but the smell dissipates with watering and time as it travels to the root systems and makes it way up into fertile leaves, flowers and fruits. Make sure to check the fertilizer's ratio to your plants. Different plants like different balances.

7. Don't just dump any old compost on there 

Not all compost is created equal. Different plants need different amounts of nitrogen and other elements to succeed and too much or too little can burn, damage or kill. Not everyone knows that compost has to be balanced. A collection of kitchen scraps that have broken down do not necessarily have the right components for your garden. Of course, you can take this and add things (such as dry leaves), to create excellent garden compost, but it does take some consideration. 

8. Plant a Cover Crop

Cover crops are one of the most overlooked, most essential things you can do for your garden. The original compost, farmers have long used cover crops to protect their soil's nutrients from being washed away in heavy winter and early spring rains. A few weeks before planting, take a shovel and break up the cover crop (it shouldn't be hard), to mix into the soil. As it decomposes, it will serve as compost and add nutrients to your soil. There are various cover crops from red wheat to fava beans, many of which are delicious in their own right. In addition to protecting from rain and serving as compost, different crops deliver different nutrients back into the soil so choose according to what you plan to plant. 

9. Plant Flowers & Think about Beneficial Insects 

Vegetables need flowers. People need flowers. So why not plant flowers!? Flowers attract beneficial insects that feed on the pests who wreak havoc on our gardens. Planting flowers in and around your vegetables and fruit trees is a great way to attract wildlife to your garden and protect your plants in a natural, low-maintenance way. Plus, who doesn't love flowers!? 

10. Have Fun & Experiment!

Ultimately, a garden is a place of creativity and exploration. So try things! Plant that funky seed packet you picked up on your last road trip. Try something you've always been afraid to try, like artichokes or pumpkins. Mix your purple and orange carrots together and see what happens. Each time you try something new, you pick up things. It might not work out, or it might bred a new hybrid. You never know until you try, and the joy of silly experimentation and occasional success is infectious. 

Resources

1. ENCLYCLOPEDIA BOTANICA PODCAST

by Hilary Dahl of Seattle Urban Farm Co. 

The BEST gardening podcast...ever! I could listen to Hilary's clam, collected voice, inquisitive questions and clear explanations all day. Between interviewing guests from various seed companies and garden-related professions, to going in depth to explain different plant profiles, to topics such as seed collecting, open pollination and creating healthy soil, this podcast is a wealth of information and a valuable resource for anyone interested in the garden. Plus, I adore Seattle Urban Farm Co. (you'll see their book below). 

2. FOOD GROWN RIGHT IN YOUR BACKYARD

By Colin McCrate & Brad Halm of Seattle Urban Farm Co. 

This is the book I recommend to anyone just getting into gardening. Colin & Brad do a stellar job of outlining everything you need to know about starting a garden- choosing a spot, constructing a garden, watering, crops, pests, harvest, etc- and provide you with multiple ways to go about each so you can customize and work with the space and time you have. It's also home to some of the best charts I've come across for planting dates, fertilizing, succession planting, etc. And I very much enjoy the humor and conversational writing style. Published by Skipstone Press, an imprint of the Mountaineers Books, a company I've worked with and have immense respect for. They go out of their way to support and share people doing incredible things with integrity and sustainable practices so you aren't only supporting them and the authors but those they support as well. 

3. THE TIMBER PRESS GUIDE TO VEGETABLE GARDENING IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST/MIDWEST/SOUTHWEST/SOUTHEAST/MOUNTAIN STATES/SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

As you can tell, there is a version of this book for anywhere you live in the United States, except maybe Alaska. Published by another of my favorite publishers for foraging, gardening and natural history books, this comprehensive manual is organized by month, something I appreciate as no matter where you are in the year, there is always something that can or should be done for the garden. With an introduction to your particular climate in the beginning and an A-Z list of edible profiles in the back, it's a great way to stay on track and guide you through the year. 

4. UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS SOIL & PLANT NUTRIENT TESTING LABORATORY

This is a cool and very useful tool to have. The Lab at the University of Massachusetts Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment offers testing services for soil. Just fill out one of the online forms, follow the instructions for collection, drop in the mail, and get your results. Knowing your soil's nutrient levels, soil acidity, environmental pollution, and toxic levels of lead or other heavy metals will keep you safe, save you money, and tell you exactly what fertilizers and lime to add to your soil. 

5. TERRITORIAL SEED COMPANY

Territorial Seeds Co. is a wonderful, long-standing company with a solid reputation. You can find many standard varieties, beautiful varieties, organic varieties and some unique varieties on their site. 

6. JOHNNY'S SEEDS

The go-to seed company for many professional gardeners, Johnny's supplies a hearty selection of reliably germinating seeds. With a nice selection of the basics, they extend a bit beyond your staple varieties and their prices are on point. 

7. CUT FLOWER GARDEN

Cut Flower Garden by Erin Benzakein of Floret Flower Farm (below) has become the standard for learning how to grow a cut flower garden. The fact that the book is undeniably gorgeous doesn't hurt either. Whether you want a dreamy puddle of inspiration to drool over or a thorough technique-focused education, this book charmingly delivers. 

8. FLORET FLOWER FARM

Floret is a well known, well established flower farm in the Skagit Valley of Washington State, just a couple of hours from us! Erin, the owner and founder of Floret, is a master at her craft and has been recognized far and wide for her cut flower garden book (linked above), her blog, and features in Martha Stewart. She holds immaculate flower workshops that, as you can imagine, sell out in an instant. Her shop sells seeds, bulbs and some top-of-the-line tools, though these sell out in a snap as well so be ready!

9. ENDO MYCORRHIZAE (The stuff that makes your plants grow strong) 

Only a tiny amount of Endo Mycorrhizae is needed to sprinkle on transplants or add to the soil of existing plants. Found through many mail-order seed and nursery catalogs, you'll want to store in a dry, moderate-temperature place. Refer to the product instructions on quantity and implementation.

10. FISH & BONE MEAL 

A chemical-free, nutrient rich option to fertilize. A great source of organic phosphorus and calcium, the option linked above works especially well with fruiting trees, as well as new garden beds, perennials and bulbs. 

11. RAINTREE NURSERY

Excellent nursery for Pacific Northwest Native and hard to find varieties. This is my go-to for re-wilding my property and adding edible, native plants that are both sustainable and beautiful. They also specialize in unique crops such as the tea plant, goji berries, and more. 

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