ML Interest Tag: cucumber

Kenny and Zuke’s Picklefest Returns: Bigger and Brinier!

by Cheyenne Terbrueggen

What can’t Portlanders pickle? Portlandia asked the question; now come to this festival to get your answer. What began last year as a simple street party and pickle throwdown has now blossomed into a full-flavored Pickle Fest. Bigger and better, it’s also a great place to spend a few hours with your family, tasting delicious pickle bites and playing in the park. Here is your guide to celebrating all things pickled.

Go: Kenny and Zuke’s Picklefest is being held on July 21 (Saturday), 2012 from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm at Wallace Park (NW Portland on NW 25th St., in between NW Raleigh St. and NW Pettygrove Street).

Cost: Admission to the event is free and $7 to taste the pickle samples. Admission costs will be donated to the Oregon Food Bank.

What’s the big deal? The participant list includes top Portland pickle makers and restaurants, including Woodsman Tavern, Ned Ludd, Oven and Shaker, Bluehour, Tasty and Sons, Wildwood, Little Big Burger and Biwa, to name a few of the over 20 that have signed on. Attendees vote for their favorites and celebrity judges award the winners.

What else is there to eat? Guests can pair their pickle samples with barbecue, specialties from Kenny and Zuke’s and microbrews and other kid-friendly beverages.

Pickles in the park: This year’s festival is being held at Wallace Park, where you can relax and relish your pickles on the lawn. There will be plenty of room for kids to run. And, yes, there is a playground, too.

Think pink for kiddos: Cucumber-based pickles will be well represented; be sure to check out some awesomely unusual pickles the kids will love. Last year kids enjoyed pickled strawberries, cherries and watermelons along with People’s Choice Portland Weird pickle winner, Kenny & Zuke’s Koolickle, a pickle made with Kool-aid.

Jam with your pickles? Secrets in the Salt will be performing, adding live music to the festive atmosphere.

You are so dilly: Peter Piper picking a peck of pickled peppers is just the beginning of silly pickle humor. What do you call a cat eating a pickle? Sour Puss.

Parking strategy. Time to dust off your annual Chapman-Swifts-Viewing car parking plan. Wallace Park is right net to the Chapman school. Remember that the uphill part of NW Pettygrove Street is a dead-end street and easily becomes very congested. There is usually lots of parking available north of the school.

-Cheyenne Terbrueggen

(photos courtesy of Kenny & Zuke’s & Ginger via flickr)

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Build Your Own Greek Salad

by writerredtri

The contrast of sweet tomatoes, crisp cucumber and tangy feta gives this salad a bright, refreshing flavor. You can whip it up in one big bowl, but for family meals with picky eaters in attendance, we recommend you arrange it on the table salad-bar style, which allows each family member to create their own unique version of this Mediterranean classic. Olives and cucumbers only? No problem. Cheese on the side, not touching the other foods? You’ve got it! Finally a salad recipe everyone in the family will love!

Ingredients

For the salad:

  • 2 plum tomatoes, diced
  • 1 1/2 English cucumbers, diced
  • 1 red pepper, finely diced
  • 3 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
  • 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, whole or halved
  • 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

For the dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup olive oil

To complete the Greek salad:

  • 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

Method

To make the salad:

Kid: Place the diced tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper and red onion together in a large bowl. Fold in the olives and parsley and toss together until well mixed. Or assign children the task of putting individual vegetables into small, separate bowls.

To make the dressing:

Together: Whisk the red wine vinegar, mustard, honey, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper together in a small bowl.

Together: Slowly add the olive oil to the dressing, whisking constantly.

To complete the Greek Salad:

Kid: Pour the dressing to taste over the salad and toss to ensure all the vegetables are evenly coated. Crumble the feta cheese on top, sprinkle with parsley, divide into 6 portions and enjoy!

We’ve teamed up with the Kids Cook Monday initiative to bring you a weekly recipe that encourages families to set aside the first night of every week for cooking and eating together as a family. Be sure to check out their website for more great ideas on how to empower your kids in the kitchen!

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Date Night: 6 Food Trends We Love

by Erin Lem

If you feel like you’re out of the loop about what’s hot and what’s not on the Seattle food scene then don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Our friends at Seattle Magazine have dug up 6 food trends from cocktails to pickles that will leave your mouth watering and your stomach growling. They’ve uncovered the best of the best and even where in Seattle to find them!

Booze of the Moment: Tequila

Don’t be like me. It took me years to recover from cheap-tequila-drenched trips to Mexico in college. And so I came late to the nuanced aromas of reposado, and I’m slowly exploring the smoky flavors of good anejo (they are pricey, after all). All over town, bartenders are harnessing the subtle smoke and floral, honeyed flavors of tequila to create inspired cocktails that celebrate the spirit.

But first, a primer: All tequilas are made from the blue agave plant (a succulent that grows in Mexico), but from there, the spirit can go in several directions depending on distillation and aging methods. Tequila blanco (also called silver or white; look for labels that specify “100 percent agave”) is clear and offers the purest agave flavor.

It’s the most common tequila in mixed drinks like margaritas. Reposado tequila is aged in oak for as long as a year, and therefore takes on a very light amber tinge and a light smoke from the wood. Anejo tequila is aged longer in wood, with a complex nose of spice and smoke. Like a good Scotch, anejo tequila is generally sipped rather than mixed. Curious? Do a tequila tasting at Barrio: three shot pours (one each of blanco, reposado, anejo; $22–$90). Here, I’ve chosen cocktails from three spots that use each of the different types of tequila to great effect.

Blanco: Moshi Moshi bartender Erik Carlson infuses tequila with shishito peppers, then muddles it with mezcal, cucumber, lime, grapefruit, agave and orange zest to create Sierra Madre’s Pride. ($12; Ballard, 5324 Ballard Ave. NW; 206.971.7424; moremoshi.com)

Reposado: At Liberty, the Penicillina will do more than go down easy—it might help to cure your November sniffles. With just-squeezed lemon juice, agave and fresh ginger, it’s practically good for you. ($8; Capitol Hill, 517 15th Ave. E; 206.323.9898; libertybars.com)

Anejo: At The Walrus and the Carpenter, the deep, smoky flavors of anejo tequila are enhanced by Cynar, Averna, bitters and especially the Laphroaig Scotch rinse in the Bearded Lady cocktail. ($9; Ballard, 4743 Ballard Ave. NW; 206.395.9227; thewalrusbar.com)

To find out what other awesome foods are trending in Seattle, be sure to read the full article by clicking here.

This is our weekly guest post from our friends at Seattle Magazine, which keeps readers on the pulse of restaurants, personalities, arts, entertainment and culture that reflect the tapestry of our dynamic landscape. We’ve teamed up for an exciting partnership to bring you a weekly dose of fantastic Date Night ideas throughout greater Seattle.

 

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