Midwest food sketches

Tea bags

Iowa: Overview of Absence III

I think the past 18 months can be best broken up into three segments:

• New Zealand (first half of 2011) + sketches
• Oregon (second half of 2011) + sketches
• Iowa (2012) + sketches

Hence, I will provide some general overview of the food we ate in each of those places, with a few featured meals.  

Iowa

  We have both re-enrolled in school, and we are both studying visual arts (Jeremy is doing an Integrated Studio Arts BFA, and I, Laura, am working on a Biological/Pre-Medical Illustration BA).

  I'm hoping to start snapping food photos more regularly, but here's what I have from the past seven months.  

 Black bean burger with homemade tempeh on GF bread with salsa verde, yogurt, and queso fresco

 Sea salt caramels all wrapped up for Christmas gifts

 New Year's with the Stenbacks: 

Prime rib

 Yorkshire puddings, ancho orange sweet potatoes, all kinds of other great stuff

 Oregon leftovers (Fino in Fondo charcuterie and I can't remember what cheese)

 Everything is better in a spring roll

 And even better browned.  Seriously.

 Homemade peeps (pandan and almond flavored)

 At the National Restaurant Association show in Chicago

 Macaroni and cheese 

 Tillamook Aged cheddar with bratwurst and cilantro pesto on GF bread

 Pork pad thai

 Homemade tempeh with brussel sprout something

 Tacos

 Fries and chiles with poached eggs

 Durian

 Polenta etc

 Roasted beets for beet soup

 Foraged mushrooms 

 Our shared potato field

 Wild ramps

Oregon food sketches

Oregon: Overview of Absence II

I think the past 18 months can be best broken up into three segments:

• New Zealand (first half of 2011) + sketches
• Oregon (second half of 2011) + sketches
• Iowa (2012) + sketches

Hence, I will provide some general overview of the food we ate in each of those places, with a few featured meals.  

Oregon

  Like NZ, we were usually working in the winery.  When we weren't, we could typically be found out visiting as many wineries in the Willamette Valley as we possibly could.  In addition to the outstanding Andrew Rich Wines and J. Daan, our favorites were The Eyrie Vineyards, White Rose, and Cristom.  Domaine Serene had a fantastic '09 chardonnay (Clos du Lune) that is worth seeking out.

  Anyway, once again, plating was secondary to taste and brevity during this time.  Luckily, we know how to make a delicious dish.  Also luckily, the winery provided our lunches (thanks again, guys!).  That made life much easier.  

Homemade soba noodles, shiitakes, vegetables

 ?

 Homemade soba, Tillamook aged cheddar, beans, roasted tomato sauce

 Potato salad, black beans, samba, chèvre

 Tofu with ratatouille and fried egg

*Worth trying: Goat's milk Gouda with Nutella

 *Sauce worth remembering: puréed steamed cucumber seasoned with vinegar, a dash of sugar, salt and pepper

Served with ratatouille, spicy glazed tofu, soy-glazed egg

 Date filled with nutella and roasted local hazelnuts

 Omelette thing and sautéed vegetables with homemade ancho sauce

 Pan-fried potatoes, sautéed vegetabales

 The most ghetto of our winemaking attempts (in the closet in a cooler)

*not recommended

 Tillamook soufflé

 Syrah sketch

 Petit Verdot

 Illy... I miss you

 Steamed chicken with mirepoix, toasted kale, sweet potato gratin

 Grenache sketch

 Hunting for chanterelles (and we found so many)

 We did not eat these.  But, this is what grapes with botrytis look like (all Oregon wineries struggled with this in 2012)

 Thanksgiving in Portland (we brought the brown butter/garlic/toasted hazelnut polenta in front, plus a cold southern-French style lentil salad)