Author Archive for Deborah

Sassafras Catering will introduce its new line of five artisan relishes, chutneys, and preserves at the PSU Farmer’s Market this coming weekend. “We’re very excited that the tasting jury picked us to be one of the vendors at the Farmer’s Market,” says Tricia Butler, proprietor. “Out of 660 vendors who applied for a spot, only 140 were accepted. We can’t wait to show up on opening day and introduce our products!”

This year marks the first time Sassafras Catering has been invited to join the PSU Farmer’s Market in downtown Portland. The market opens its 2010 season on Saturday, March 20. The five new products Sassafras Catering will sell are Sunchoke Relish, Fig Preserves, Windfall Apple Chutney, Peach-Cranberry Chutney, and Watermelon Rind Pickles. All of these products are made by hand in small batches in Portland, Oregon, using ingredients from local growers. (Note that Sassafras Catering currently has an open product request in FoodHub’s Marketplace section.)

Here’s more about the Sassafras catering products:
Sunchoke Relish: Sunchokes, aka “Jerusalem Artichokes” are the star ingredient in this tangy, crunchy relish, inspired by a recipe from the South Carolina Lowcountry. Pair with a sharp cheese and crackers or bread as an appetizer, or chop ?nely and mix into deviled eggs or potato salad instead of mustard.

Fig Preserves: Made from locally grown figs, Fig Preserves are one of Sassafras Catering’s most versatile products. Serve as part of an appetizer or on a charcuterie plate, paired with cheeses, or serve it with dessert warmed and poured over ice cream. Add a spoonful to your morning oatmeal or spread onto of a pork loin or chop just before it’s finished cooking.

Windfall Apple Chutney: This chutney is made with local apples in small batches, along with chunks of apricots and candied ginger. Mix it into chicken salad with curry, grapes, and toasted nuts, or pair it with melted Brie and serve with crackers. http://www.sassafrascatering.com/home/our-food/apple-chutney/

Peach & Cranberry Chutney: Tastes great on pulled pork, on grilled salmon, and in turkey sandwiches.

Watermelon Rind Pickles: Add them to a charcuterie plate and as a tasty alternative to ordinary pickles. It’s perfect in tuna salad, as a garnish to deviled eggs, or in a Bloody Mary.

We’re working hard to make sure that FoodHub’s reach extends well into eastern Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Today the Main Market Co-op joined FoodHub and will surely be a great friend, ally and partner as we build FoodHub’s membership base on the east side.

Main Market Co-op officially opened its doors for business in Feb 2010 and already has 1,000 members! Congratulations Main Market. One of the things we love most about the Main Market Co-op is their willingness and desire to provide services that benefit shoppers and producers alike. Consider for example that Main Market included individual freezer storage space for shoppers in their store design.

Why? So that shoppers who live in apartments or condos and don’t have room to store, for example, a 1/4 cow bought from a local rancher, can still participate in buying direct from local ranchers. How brilliant is that!? Much like the theory that putting a farmers market in store parking lots drives customers into the store, we suspect allowing customers to store the meat they bought from a rancher or the berries they froze from the farmers market IN the store will have a similar effect. A great, smart move for everybody involved.

Welcome to FoodHub Main Market, we’re glad you are here.

Two FoodHub members featured in this lovely article (Steamboat Inn and Vitaly Paley)…

Cabin No. 2’s guest-book entries are the stuff you’d expect in a beloved inn: messages saccharine with romance, awe-struck at the scenery, heady with adjectives for last night’s meal, and stinking of fish … mostly the ones that got away.

So it goes when guests visit southern Oregon’s delicious lodging legend, Steamboat Inn, nestled in the 20-shades-of-green Oregon woods along the bank of the North Umpqua River. They pick up a pen and scribble their thoughts in the cabins’ guest books, dating back decades.

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For 1000 Friends of Oregon’s 35th anniversary – and Oregon’s 151st birthday – the non profit decided to celebrate the past, present and future by honoring 35 Innovators Under 35…young Oregonians making a difference in their communities while continuing Oregon’s proud legacy of an active, engaged citizenry.

We were pleased to see so many award winners working on food and agriculture issues. Quite a few FoodHub members too! Here’s an abbreviated list of the award winners.

Gina Bell
Forest Grove
Gina helped get the Forest Grove Farmers Market off the ground and now manages the market. She is also Director of Development for Adelante Mujeres, a community-based organization that helps immigrant families achieve self-determination through 3 areas: Education, Empowerment & Enterprise.

Abby Bradbury
Langlois
Abby started Abby’s Greens, her own direct-marketing farm business in Bandon, while home on summer vacation during college. Her determination and commitment to providing local food for her region has helped her business blossom over the past 5 years. She works alongside her sister Zoe and her mother Betsy to re-invigorate the local food movement on Oregon’s south coast.

Zoë Bradbury (FOODHUB Member)
Langlois
A farmer and freelance writer, Zoe’s work in sustainable agriculture has engaged her with numerous non-profits, including Ecotrust, the Agriculture and Land-based Training Association, the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture, and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

Jen Brown
Corvallis
Jen is currently the Director of the Farm to School program at the Corvallis Environmental Center. Previously, she was the Education Director at the Watershed Project, where she ran the Kids in Gardens and Kids in Creeks programs.

Cory Carman (FOODHUB Member)
Wallowa
A fourth-generation rancher, Cory returned home after spending years working on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Cory has become a leader in the local grass-fed livestock movement and promotes the ecological health of the land by monitoring local grasses and analyzing prime feeding spots on the ranch.

Zach Christensen
McMinnville
A 5th-generation Yamhill County hazelnut farmer, Zach works to keep the agriculture industry in Oregon sustainable and profitable. He is currently President of the Yamhill County Farm Bureau.

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Home on the Range Beef, a FoodHub member, recently posted a nice YouTube video. Check it out.

When you are located far from your customers, there’s no better way to tell your story than through great photos and images. We especially love the image of the cowboy hats on the wall! How are you telling your story to potential customers?