Season to Season

Berries & Cherries in the Land of Ferries - and more

Summer's coming in full steam. Looks like a normal summer of weather ahead so it should be a good fall harvest. In the meantime, the grocers' shelves are filling up with some nice stuff.

Berries - blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.  There's no shortage of local berries right now - so take advantage. Throughout the year, I purchase frozen berries when the tasty little morsels are not in season. I use them three times a week in smoothies, so I need about three pounds a month. The frozen berries I purchase in the winter and spring are not organic, but since I would prefer that, I've got a new trick up my sleeve.

Like a little squirrel, I'm stockpiling, caching if you will, my fall, winter and spring supply of organic berries. I've purchased a small freezer I'll keep outside on the patio during those months and in September I'll load it up with my cache. I buy about three pounds a week of local organic blue berries, wash them and store them in gallon size Ziploc bags.

Long term storage, also known as sub-zero storage should be colder than a typical freezer setting. You're looking to be in the range of 5 to -20 degrees. Keeping the extra freezer outside during those months will help keep the electrical bill manageable.

I killed two birds with one stone when I bought my freezer. It's a freezer/fridge unit made by EdgeStar, It's about the size of a large ice chest and works on both 115v AC and 12v DC. This means you can utilize it in the summer months by moving it into your camper, RV or boat. No more messing around with bags of melting ice. Instead you'll have cold goods without all the hassle.

Cherries  - It was noted here last month the Rainiers are just getting to market and my... are they good. But they won't last forever so enjoy while you can. When they're gone you can still enjoy local cherries as dried fruit and Chukar Cherries (www.chuckar.com) are some of the best. Their dried Bings and Rainiers are not sweetened with sugar. Cherries grown closer to the Columbia River tend to have a more tart or bitter flavor. Talk about terroir. 

Did you know that Oregon is the largest supplier of maraschino cherries in the world? They start out life as a Royal Ann, Rainier or Gold variety, then are brined in a sulfur dioxide or calcium dioxide solution and colored, typically red. No one uses formaldehyde in these parts so you can toss that little myth right out the window. Originally produced as a delicacy for royalty and the wealthy, green ones are flavored with mint.

Broccoli - We can get broccoli all year, but our Northwest harvest is hitting shelves now. Ditto for artichokes.

Peaches - It's time for Peach-O-Rama. Enjoy a few now. For a tasty snack, put some ricotta cheese on a few slices of baguette brushed with olive oil, adorn it with some prosciutto and lay a few peach slices on top. Yum! Check for great recipes at www.central-market.com.

Coming in August - Huckleberries, melons, sweet peppers and more.

Tom Mehren/July 2014

Tom Mehren is a self-taught chef who steals all his ideas from better chefs than he. One day he plans to release a cookbook and profit from such thievery. Until then, continue to enjoy his column.