Kruger's Farm Stand on Hawthorne

Kurger's Farm Market out on Sauvie's Island (not far outside of Portland) is one my favorite places to visit year round. U-pick berries in the summer, hayrides in the fall; it's heaven! D and I seldom make it out the the main farm, but we've grown to adore their tented farm stand on 22nd and SE Hawthorne. If you live in the city I highly suggest checking out one of their two inner-city farm stand locations (the other is up on N Lombard), they've got everything you could ever really need, produce wise, and fresh produce is delivered daily straight from the family farm. Not only is most of the food local, sustainably grown and organic, they also accept EBT (woo-hoo, finally us broke folks can get quality produce too!).

Here are some photos I took on our last trip to the farm stand:



Such a wide variety of greens... yum!

Blackberries are my favorite!

Local raspberries, $2 a pint

a few conventional fruit items...

Organic celery, $1.50 a bunch. Can't beat that!

That fennel was pretty tempting... any suggestions on how to cook it?

Best arugula I've ever had... it's wild, literally! ;)

Fresh herb bundles. All different kinds, all $2 each

And this is just a sampling of what you might find on a given day. They've also got AMAZING elephant garlic, the best red onions I've ever tasted, peaches and plums that could make a grown man weep with joy and about a million varieties of apples...

People often tell me it's "too expensive" to shop locally, but I say that's a load of hogwash! On our last trip we picked up 6 clementines, 4 purple plums, 2 "Rich Lady"  peaches, a gigantic red onion, and a head of organic cauliflower for 7 dollars. Not to shabby at all if you ask me! Shopping locally is about shopping smart; sticking to what's most in season (it's usually much cheaper that way) and finding the best deals.

Do you have a favorite market of fruit stand in your city? Leave it in a comment below, I'd love to hear all about it. :)

Happy eating! ~ ea



45 Minutes Of Yoga In 32 Seconds

On Monday morning I recorded some time-lapse video of my personal yoga practice... here's the result! My apologies for the speed of the video, I'm still working out the kinks with this whole time-lapse thing, haha. Enjoy! ~ ea

Vegan tofu breakfast scramble recipe

I don't often eat tofu, but I do enjoy a nice plate of "tofu scramble" from time to time. A little nutritional yeast makes this dish reminiscent of a traditional cheesy scramble made with eggs, however its still 100% vegan! Here's my recipe; you're more than welcome to substitute any veggies for the ones mentioned... Also, feel free to experiment with other herbs and seasoning! Think of this recipe as a template and get creative. :)

 

 

What you'll need:

• 1/2 block of organic firm tofu
• sliced mushrooms, broccoli and spinach (as much as you'd like)
• small drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• salt, pepper, nutritional yeast and garlic powder
• clean cloth or paper towels for pressing the tofu

 

Directions:

1. Slice your tofu and wrap the slices in a few paper towels. Press it between your hands, using the paper towels or a clean cloth to absorb any excess moisture from the tofu. Set it aside.
2. Begin warming your olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
3. Sauté the mushrooms and broccoli in olive oil until lightly softened.
4. Add the tofu to the pan, crumbling the slices between your fingers in to scrambled egg sized chunks.
5. Continue to cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
6. Once any extra liquid has evaporated, add your spinach. I used two big handfuls as it cooks down pretty dramatically in size.
7. If you're making a side of toast, now is a good time to put it in the toaster...
8. Continue to cook until the spinach starts to wilt, stirring occasionally.
9. Remove pan from heat. Season with salt, pepper, nutritional yeast and garlic powder.

 

This recipe was for two people. Serve with toast and tea for a delicious breakfast, anytime of day!

 

Have a lovely Sunday! ~ea

An Unconventional 4th of July

Instead of indulging in the usual 4th of July festivities this year (family BBQs and fireworks), D and I set out in the early afternoon on foot, for what ended up being an 18+ mile trip zig-zagging all throughout the city, conversing existentially about life and discovering places we'd never been before. I took a several photos; here are some of my favorite from the day. :)


Union Station in black and white, from the Broadway Bridge by Elizabeth Antoinette

Union Station was first opened February 14, 1896, and still serves as a transportation hub for the city of Portland. You can catch an Amtrak train, Greyhound bus and the light rail service all from one central location; pretty neat. Anyway, if you squint your eyes hard enough, doesn't it almost look like this photo could be from a hundred years ago? I think so, haha.



And here are a few other photos I snapped from the Broadway bridge...

Steel Bridge over the Willamette River, by Elizabeth Antoinette

urban cityscape from the Broadway Bridge, by Elizabeth Antoinette

Union Station in the distance, by Elizabeth Antoinette

Skyline from the Broadway Bridge, by Elizabeth Antoinette

I love my hometown so much... I've really been drawn to photography again lately, and the city makes a great subject. One of my new goals is to start collecting more photographs of Portland over time, through various seasons and from a wider variety of locations...

I hope you have a great weekend!

Later, ea

Trip to Fubon's Market

Last Sunday D and I took a trip to Fubon's, which is a large Asian supermarket  here in Portland. We love this place for it's affordable rice and produce department stocked with hard to find exotic fruits, mushrooms and vegetables. Here are a few pictures of interesting things we found whilst shopping...

Rice is much cheaper by the big bag, and is a staple grain in my house! 

YUM! Lychee are so delicious! Hard to find in stores... your best bet will be your local Asian market...

Lime leaves. I've never used them before; I imagine they'd be a great addition to a curry dish...

Indian bitter melon... we didn't buy any, but is sure is funky looking!

fresh Ginko nuts

We did buy these! Very few ingredients and all natural... I'll use 'em in a recipe soon. :)

dried white fungus. There were so many different kinds of dried mushrooms... worth further exploration...

They've got a pretty decent selection of sake too!

We got these for the ride home. Local, vegan, gluten free and so so tasty!

We'll definitely be back soon. They've also got a wide selection of cooking tools and dishes, like udon bowls and tea cups... We even purchased our rice cooker here! If you live in Portland, I suggest checking it out. Don't be afraid to try something new, and give yourself time to explore...

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• I've got dreadlocks! So, no more afro, haha... pics will be posted soon :)
• I'll be blogging recipes more frequently; any suggestions on meals or dishes you'd like to see "veganized"? Leave it in the comments below.
• I recently posted a recipe on tumblr for a homemade herbal dreadlock/natural hair cleaser. For the recipe and full directions click here.

I hope you have a wonderful day, later gater! xx EA