2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes technology terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

As a Portland chef, preserving has become an important method we use in the restaurant to efficiently utilize all of the wonderful produce that the pacific Northwest has to offer. With so much available through the spring and summer growing seasons I have begun purchase with the sole intent of preserving certain things for the winter ahead. We use fermented dill pickles on our burger and right now I'm drying fruit in my dehydrator. An interest in pickling led to preserving meat as well, and now we offer a plate of different cured and preserved meats and vegetables all done here in the restaurant. Preserving is not only fun and efficient, but most importantly shows a respect for the food that we would not simply toss out what we cannot eat while fresh, but sustaining the enjoyment we can get from one harvest. Preserving also allows us to use things that would not be edible when fresh, such as watermelon rind, which we pickle serve alongside the fruit in a salad with goat cheese and mizuna. Our guest go wild for the mystery ingredient and are delighted to find out that we have simply used something they never imagined could be edible. Not a day goes by that we don't preserve something, and of course, we have a copy of Linda's book to steer us in the right direction.

posted 4 years, 7 months ago
view in context