Fresh peas make everything perfect. Some times we skip a proper breakfast in order to get into the garden before the sun peaks over the eastern hill. Then have peas with our coffee as the sun begins to shine down on the garden. Makes for a pretty good morning and who would have guessed peas … Continue reading
Author Archives: castironidaho
Thai Glazed Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Above is one of our favorite lettuce head varieties. Marty says he’ll only tell you what it is if you come volunteer on his farm! If you’ve eaten enough salad already, a big gorgeous head like this one is perfect for making lettuce wraps. I recently modified this recipe to include many veggies that have … Continue reading
Grilled Salmon with Caramelized Dill
This is a recipe that I’ve been using for literally over a decade, it’s so delicious. I spent my first summer out west working with a group of botanists at the University of Wyoming in 1999. When they weren’t botanizing, or hauling botanical equipment up mountains, they were cooking, drinking wine, or hunting mushrooms. Thanks, … Continue reading
Drying Morel Mushrooms
You scored, found a spot with a mother load of morels, good job. But what do you do with all your mushrooms? Eat as many as you can and dry the rest. We used a dehydrator and it worked great. I’ve heard of drying them in the windshield of the truck. I’ve also heard morels … Continue reading
Finding food in the forest; Morels pt 2.
We slowly crept down the mountain road searching the woods for our prey. Suddenly Alex screams out “Puff balls!” and I slam on the brakes. Before the car even comes to a stop the passenger door swings open. Alex is pulling his knife from his pocket before his feet hit the ground and he quickly … Continue reading
How to Find Wild Morel Mushrooms
As a non-native Idahoan, I often don’t know whether to love or hate Idaho. This past memorial day weekend dawned rainy, nasty, cold, about 34 degrees or so. The rest of the country was probably basking in glorious sunlight, kicking off summer with barbecues and such, while we were still enjoying six more weeks of … Continue reading
Mizuna Salad with Fish and Mango
Spring is here! And so are the greens from the garden. If you’re a regular reader, you’re probably starting to catch on that I make a lot of salad with fish on it. It’s a quick and delicious dinner, especially when greens are plentiful. Everybody’s eaten lettuce and spinach, but maybe if you’re in a … Continue reading
Oh Parsley
My darling parsley I do love thee. Mmmmm…. “What? You love that damned garnish.” is often what I hear when I profess my love for this sparkly green herb. That’s right it’s an herb, not a garnish. At a Basque restaurant and a French restaurant where I worked, we used it with gusto, sprinkling every … Continue reading
Farmer Marty’s Stage Debut
Hear it here, folks. Farmer Marty tells the story of himself in the life he lived before this one. A monthly event in Boise called “Story Story Night” invites people to tell true stories on a theme. Last month’s theme was “Rights of Passage,” and Farmer Marty was the only storyteller with the nerve to … Continue reading
Dutch Oven Gyros
This one’s easy. 2 cups chickpeas (I use dry beans that I soak in water the night before, or in the morning for the evening meal, you want a good 8 hours). 1 lbs gyro meat 1 chopped onion 2 cups frozen tomatillos 1 cups chopped frozen Anaheim peppers 1 cup chopped fresh kale salt … Continue reading
Cast Iron 