2012 holiday planning & entertaining

HolidayPLANNING AND ENTERTAINMENT

HolidayHolidayNOVEMBER 2012

Local food for your holiday feast

Here’s the perfectmusic for a perfect bash

Entertaining with Family & Friends

A production of the Mid-Valley Media’s Advertising Department





Mid-Valley Newspapers, November 6, 2012 2 Mid-Valley Newspapers, November 6, 2012

Offering a festive touch to the season | by Maria L. Kirkpatrick

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Candles all aglow cast brilliance and emit tantalizing, memory-recalling scents during the holiday season.

They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be used to create all sorts of displays.

From tall and thick to short and pretty to tiny tea lights, candles are big during the holidays.

Pat Lampton at The Inkwell Home Store in Corvallis said all shapes and sizes are huge this time of year.

“You can make them centerpieces or fi t them into arrangements,” Lampton said.

Also popular are tea lights for use in decorations and luminarias. Lampton likes to line his driveway with luminaria bags lit with tea candles.

“They are inexpensive but look terrifi c,” he said.

Lampton generously adds to his candle stock during the holidays, allowing for ever-growing festive displays throughout the store.

He said candles are an inexpensive way to light and add fragrance to the holidays. Manufacturers and artists are adding to candles in such a way that they become artwork on display.

One such candle, Lampton said, is a pillar candle made with translucent wax so additions of candy and spice and everything nice can be seen. A particularly attractive one, Lampton said, is made with spiced apples. It’s fun to look at and the scent matches the visual ingredients.

Candles would just be light without their added oil fragrances. Every season seems to have a particular smell associated with it and fall and winter wouldn’t be as yummy without the scents of warm pumpkin and evergreen. Think peppermint spice and it’s just as nice. For those homes without a baker in the kitchen, the smell of cinnamon rolls, warm sugar cookies and pecan pie are just a match light away.

For the most part, candles are consumable. Lampton said unless they are a decorative shape or depict a character, people burn through their candles. Every year new colors and scents are available replacements.

Store shelves are full of paraffi n candles, beeswax candles and soy-base candles. Each have their own specifi c qualities and benefi ts.

Paraffi n candles tend to be cheaper and burn faster. However, they are made from petroleum and produce carcinogens and soot when burned.

Soy and beeswax candles tend to cost a bit more with soy signifi cantly

Candlestick/taper holder

Lantern candleholder

Pillar holder

Apothecary jar

Votive holder

Tealight holder

THE PERFECT DISPLAY

Continued on page 4

Mid-Valley Newspapers, November 6, 2012 Mid-Valley Newspapers, November 6, 2012 3

Prepared by your Market Chefs, our signature recipes

combine creative genius, local flair and high-quality

ingredients for your holiday enjoyment.

Main course selections include Shelton’s Free-Range

Turkey, All Natural Beeler’s Honey-Glazed Carving

Ham or Vegetarian Stuffed Squash. To complete your

meal, choose from an array of scrumptious scratch-

made sides. And don’t forget dessert!

Please place orders at your Market Kitchen and Bakery for Thanksgiving by Monday, Nov. 19th www.marketofchoice.com

Sample Thanksgiving Meal items Saturday, your Corvallis Market.

Continued on page 4

Fire safety should be a No. 1 priority during the holidays as residents use candles for decoration and ambience.

More than 15,000 candle fi res are reported annually and, according to fi re experts, the bulk of candle-fi re incidents are due to consumer inattention to basic fi re safety or to the misuse of candles.

While home candle fi res have been on the decline, the National Candle Association promotes candle safety and urges consumers to be careful when burning candles.

Debbie Williams at The Vintage Roost Seasonal Gift Shop sells soy wax candles and prefers them for their clean burning benefi ts and safety factors as they burn at a low temperature.

“I once had one burning on my counter and a customer inadvertently knocked it over toward me,” she said. “It splattered all over my smock and even on to my face, but it

was not hot and it washed out of my clothing wonderfully.”

Williams prefers jar candles because they burn straight down and the fl ame is contained inside the jar.

The National Candle Association and U.S. fi re-safety offi cials advise homeowners to always keep a burning candle within sight as more than half of all candle fi res start when something fl ammable is too close to the candle fl ame.

December is the peak time of year for home candle fi res.

Here’s advice from the National Fire Protection Association about candle safety:

• Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets. Do not place lighted candles where they can be knocked over by children, pets or anyone else.

• Trim candlewicks to ¼ inch each time before burning. Long or crooked wicks cause uneven burning and dripping.

• Always use a candleholder specifi cally designed for candle use. The holder should be heat resistant, sturdy and large enough to contain any drips or melted wax.

• Be sure the candleholder is placed on a stable, heat-resistant surface. This also will help prevent possible heat damage to counters and table surfaces and prevent glass containers from cracking or breaking.

• Keep the wax pool free of wick trimmings, matches and debris at all times.

• Always read and follow the manufacturer’s use and safety instructions carefully. Don’t burn a candle longer than the manufacturer recommends.

• Never, ever leave a candle unattended.

Keep Safety in Mind With Candles


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costing less than beeswax. Beeswax has greater oil retention resulting in longer lasting fragrance. Soy candles are derived from the soybean. Beeswax candles, which have a slightly longer burn time, are harvested from beehives. Soy candles are known for putting less soot into

the air. Soy and beeswax are less likely to trigger allergies.

Debbie Hanslovan, co-owner of Homespun Candle Co. in Albany, makes soy candles. In the business for 10 years, Hanslovan said she sees an increased demand for candles at the holiday markets.

Cinnamon, spice, vanilla, clove and

pumpkin pie are the most popular, she said.

Hanslovan makes her candles by hand and uses cotton wicks, which burn clean.

Less expensive candles, she said, tend to have a wire in the wick. When this burns it creates black smoke. Other candles have high levels of

petroleum, which can be unhealthy.

“If you use a lot of candles,” Hanslovan said, “you can smoke up your walls.”

Hanslovan likes the benefi ts of soy on her hands during production and said cleanup is easy, requiring only soap and water. She makes candles with at least 30 different scents and colors them to match their fragrance.

Continued from page 2


Light-emitting diodes

That’s the big seller this year in holiday lighting décor – inside and out.

Retailers and decorators are stocking LED lights almost exclusively as customers seek better and brighter colors and energy-saving alternatives to the cheaper versions.

Crystal Valley Decorating, Inc. in

Albany manufactures commercial light displays that illuminate companies and town squares from Dubai to Hawaii. Russ Milstein, the company’s owner and president, said this year’s creations were 99 percent designed and lighted with LEDs.

“In our business, we’re completely switching away from incandescent lighting,” Milstein said. “This is our biggest year in history for producing

large, giant, artifi cial trees. They are 100 percent this year LED lights.”

Under construction is a 50-foot tree sporting 146,000 lights.

The most popular shape is the wide-angle light. It’s a tiny light. Its popularity is due to the angle, which provides for bright light no matter where the bulb points.

LEDs are here to stay, Milstein

said. They last longer and the colors keep getting better.

The lights may stay but the design comes and goes. What used to be a holiday full of the jolly big guy and candy canes has given way to more “ethereal” decorations including stars and snowfl akes. Wreaths also are popular, Milstein said.

“Many of our accounts are going back to traditional, stylish elegance,” he said.

As for decorating your own home, Milstein suggests being original without being tacky.

Joel Shonnard, head of the lighting and installation division at Shonnard’s Nursery Florist & Landscape in Corvallis, can help with that.

Shonnard’s offers design consultations for homes and businesses and follows through to provide hanging and decorating services. Services include removal and light storage.

When it’s time to do it all over again, Shonnard goes through and checks lights and decorations before installing them. This year, Shonnard is transitioning his long-time customers to LED lights.

LED lights last 10 to 15 years and the cost to run them is minimal, Shonnard said.

He should know. Shonnard’s company is responsible for decorating more than 52 displays

Illuminating the holidays through design | by Maria L. Kirkpatrick

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Andrea Shonnard of Shonnard’s Nursery, Florist & Landscape looks over Brite Ideas holiday lights outside her Corvallis store Oct. 31. (Amanda Cowan | Corvallis Gazette-Times)

Continued on page 6

Illuminating the holidays through design |

Local Trends in LightingHa

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throughout the mid-valley as far north as Salem and south to Eugene.

“It’s a process,” Shonnard said of this year’s upgrades. “There are customers who have been with us for eight years and their lights have run their course.”

The initial transition can be costly, as LED lights are more expensive to purchase. The end return and longevity, however, makes up for the cost as the lights use less energy.

Not holiday specific but still festive are the new pre-lit trees, including cherry blossom and weeping willows.

“The weeping willow is impressive,” Shonnard said. “It’s a big fall of lights to the ground. These are great for yards with no foliage to decorate.”

Expected to be big are the twinkle light tree branches. Sporting fall to winter colors with and without foliage, the branches stand in the ground or planters and even indoor vases.

Snowflakes, lighted hanging baskets and twinkle light stake sets

are in at Robnett’s in downtown Corvallis.

Owner Tori Lockwood shops throughout the year so she can offer customers a better price than the big-box stores. Every year when it comes time to open the Christmas light displays she said it’s like opening gifts; she doesn’t always remember what’s inside.

“There are lots and lots of different kinds of LED lights,” Lockwood said. “That’s the thing this year. They’re energy-saving. You can link numerous light sets together and not worry about the power draw.”

Manufacturers are incorporating prettier colors, she said. There are two hues of white, one softer than the other. Lockwood warns shoppers to pay attention when making purchases as the two whites don’t go together.

As a result of technology, the new LED lights can be used indoors and outside. The bulbs don’t burn as hot and the risk of fire is reduced.

Brite Ideas holiday lights are visible on a tree at Shonnard’s Nursery, Florist & Landscape Oct. 31. (Amanda Cowan | Corvallis Gazette-Times)


Indoor decorating is just as important as outdoor

Peggy Udolf, owner at Emma’s Downtown in Albany, is known for her skills on display at her store and sometimes as part of the Albany Association’s Christmas Parlour Tour.

Her advice before starting any decorating is to first clean.

“Make all the nonessentials go away,” Udolf said. “Then, start from the inside out.”

From trees to interior rooms, illumination from within ads dimension.

When decorating a mantle, take depth into consideration. Deeper mantles can handle layers of decoration.

“For shorter space, assess your issue and go from there,” Udolf said.

Shop for LED lights and pay attention to color. Udolf suggests warm tones indoors. LEDs also have hit the candle business. Electric candles can go all sorts of places regular candles can’t, Udolf said. Many have timers that turn off after two to three uses.

Safety is imperative when decorating. Use proper ladders and stools. Always check plugs, wiring, extension cords and batteries for wear.


So this is Christmas, and what have you done?

By now you should be fi nished with the mortal combat of holiday consumerism, arranged satisfactory seating for warring relatives and fi nalized a vegetarian menu for palates that wouldn’t gobble a goose, no matter how plump or delicious.

All that’s left is the Christmas mix, perfect to keep the offi ce party hopping, even after all have passed out into a good night. Below are 16 cuts of various vintages and styles, all available in commercial form (this silly guideline kept a lot of great R.E.M., Beck, Southern Culture on the Skids and Weezer tunes off the list; XTC’s “Thanks for Christmas” was a heartbreaking omission) and none too outrageous (goodbye to De La Soul’s “Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa” and Martin Mull’s “Santa Doesn’t Cop Out on Dope”) for sensitive ears.

“Cory Frye’s Christmas Mix” is available as a Spotify playlist. It’s by no means defi nitive — I’ll probably regret it by the time it’s published —but it may provide fodder for your own. Thanks for listening, and happy holidays.

■ Vince Guaraldi Trio, “Christmas Time Is Here” — First broadcast in 1965, “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” despite its earnest reverence and sagged-tree sentimentality, remains

universal enough to thaw the coldest cockle. Bookending the cathode tradition is this Lee Mendelson/Vince Guaraldi collaboration, misted by the angelic pipes of the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in San Rafael, Calif. Dress appropriately, serve with Dolly Madison pastries.

■ Elvis Presley, “Santa Claus Is Back in Town” — When the King demanded grease for his factory-traditional ’57 eggnog, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller spiked it with this cocksure swagger. St. Nick shed his rosy-cheeked threads, leapt behind the wheel of a big, black Cadillac,

checked his spit-curl in the rearview and go-catted like a boss into the rock ’n’ roll era.

■ Twisted Sister, “White Christmas” — No longer the bane of civilization, Dee Snider’s tattered crags shellacked the halls with 2005’s “A Twisted Christmas.” Galloping among its chestnuts was this so-not-faithful Irving Berlin tribute, interwoven with the twin-axe cartoon savagery of Eddie “Fingers” Ojeda and Jay Jay French. Honorable mention: an “O Come All Ye Faithful” fi tted like leather over “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and

ending on a cross-denominational “Hava Nagila” shred.

■ The Flaming Lips, “Christmas at the Zoo” — Slurry guitars frost this snow globe, but vocalist Wayne Coyne learns an important lesson. He visits the zoo one Christmas Eve, intent on loosing its captives.

Freedom’s the greatest gift, after all. However, the animals decline — not that they’re content behind bars, mind you; as they explain, they’ll leave of their own volition. No stirring creatures were harmed when Coyne next greeted the season, completing the 2008 fi lm “Christmas on Mars” after seven years in development.

■ Darlene Love, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” —When Ronnie Spector couldn’t quite deliver, Love stepped in and lifted this necessity to soul-pop heaven in 1963. David Letterman adores the number so much he’s brought the singer back every year since 1986. Judging by his annual beatifi c grin, we’ll be hearing it for some time to come.

■ Run-D.M.C., “Christmas in Hollis” — Jam Master Jay found a copy of Clarence Carter’s “Back Door Santa” (about as holiday-appropriate as a family “Caligula” screening) under his tree and hooked it to his partners’ mic-swap sled. The hip-hop perennial fi rst surfaced on 1987’s “A Very Special Christmas” — whose quadruple-platinum bounty

Cory Frye’s Can’t-Miss Christmas MusicHa

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Mid-valley music expert Frye picks only the best tracks for your holiday bash | by Cory Frye


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benefited the Special Olympics — and, quite frankly, ruled that whole collection.

■ Chuck Berry, “Run Rudolph Run” — As long as ol’ whisker-jaws is motorvatin’, why not send him on a top-down “Maybelline”/“Roll Over Beethoven” cruise? Countless others have taken this trip, unraveling sweaters and loosening scarves, but they can’t catch the master, who left ’em all in the dust back in ’58.

■ Louis Armstrong & the Commanders, “Zat You, Santa Claus?” — Satchmo peeks over a chuckle-creepy jazz arrangement, checking every corner of his 2-minute, 50-second digs for the source of suspicious holiday sounds. We learn nothing of the intruder (our only contact is an eye through a keyhole), but since Armstrong lived 17 Christmases past this 1953 chiller, we can assume that the milk and cookies met with approval.

■ Spinal Tap, “Christmas With the Devil” — Satan earns his fruitcake in this cheeky yuletide slaughter from a metal-band parody (writers/performers in donned apparel) that by now has just as much history as a real one. Tap’s actually recorded it twice, first as a 1984 single, then with all the trimmings on their

second album — or 14th, if you insist on the fiction — “Break Like the Wind” (1992). Guests include Steve Lukather, Slash and Joe Satriani, whose layers give the “Devil” legitimate shred.

■ “Weird Al” Yankovic, “The Night Santa Went Crazy” — Santa puts up with a lot of abuse. Years ago, in Homer & Jethro’s “Santa’s Movin’ On,” the jolly old elf just split. But times had changed by ’96, when Santa had other options, like killing everybody to a melody influenced by Soul Asylum’s “Black Gold.” It has a happy ending, though: Father Christmas gets popped after decimating the North Pole and Mrs. Claus negotiates the movie rights.

■ James Brown, “Soulful Christmas” — Only a few “good Gods” away from “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud,” the Godfather of Soul clambered down 1968 chimneys, lugging a (brand-new) bag full of Fred Wesley and the tightest rhythms ever baked to perfection. Stuff that stocking full of funk; it’s the gift that keeps on giving. Maceo!

■ Ramones, “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” — Joey’s at his diplo-romantic best against a backwash of high-speed Johnny guitar in this late-era cut from 1989’s “Brain Drain,”

recorded when relations within this punk brood (members adopted the name Ramone) weren’t exactly harmonious.

“Christmas” promoted détente, but bassist Dee Dee left, anyway, shortly after the album was finished.

Their winning formula is nevertheless intact: the sneering gait, Joey’s petulant hiccup, and that familiar “don’t wanna” motif, all in an infectious single-length package.

■ John Lennon & Yoko Ono, “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” — The ex-Beatle wrote this song for a very specific conflagration (the Vietnam War), taking its message from a worldwide series of billboards he’d financed in 1969. The single was ready for the 1971 season, recorded quickly in New York; children from the Harlem Community Choir provided the chorus’ hopeful goosebumps. It’s since transcended its initial purpose to become a yuletide staple, even in rare times of peace.

■ Big Star, “Jesus Christ” — What good is Christmas without the chilled pop of Big Star (or, more accurately in this case, Alex Chilton, Jody Stephens and friends)? Chilton recounts our savior’s story against a jangle that threatens to shatter. “Lo, they did rejoice,” he preaches, “fine and pure of voice.”

That’s not quite true here, but the song itself, as found on 1978’s “Third/Sister Lovers,” is two-and-a-half minutes of divinity. Go get born.

■ Satan’s Cheerleaders, “Christmas Time (Is Here Again)” — The Beatles recorded this original for a 1967 fan-club exclusive, but good luck finding it. The sucker hasn’t been reissued since the “Free As a Bird” single 17 years ago. Instead I’m endorsing this version (stay away from Ringo’s!), which caught my attention on Sympathy for the Record Industry’s 2-CD various-artist comp, “Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus.” Don’t let the name fool you; their arrangement is quite hypnotic.

■ Kanye West, “Christmas in Harlem” — Teyana Taylor and Cyhi the Prynce join ’Ye on this nighttime coast through a shimmering commercial metropolis of Marvin Gaye samples (“Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing,” “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)”) and a Brothers Johnson/Shuggie Otis bob (“Strawberry Letter 23”). From these they fashion a gossamer postcard to success, family, lovers and friends, even those separated by distance and status. “Now we all livin’ the good life,” Kanye proclaims, and at least for the holidays, it’s true.



Mid-valley farmers respond to increasing demand from consumers | by Jennifer Rouse

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Mid-valley farmers respond to increasing demand

Go Local For Your Christmas FeastHa

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Turkeys convinced Rachel Prickett to become a farmer.

Specifi cally, the expensive, organic, free-range turkeys she saw on the pages of a Williams-Sonoma catalog a few years back.

“They were over $100 a bird plus shipping, and they had a note in the catalog that said, ‘Order early — these sell out fast,’” said Prickett, who with her husband, Keith, owns Provenance Farm in Philomath. “I couldn’t believe

it. I said to myself, ‘I could do that!’”

Now, armed with an animal science degree from Oregon State University and a passion for local foods, Prickett is doing exactly that—raising turkeys, along with other meat animals and laying hens—and selling them for holiday meals.

“It’s really satisfying to put a turkey on someone’s table,” Prickett said. “We’re producing a product that means a lot to entire families. We’re making memories.”

She’s supplying those birds, and the memories that go with them, for a growing number of mid-valley consumers who want their holiday meals to be centered on locally grown foods. And farmers and retailers like Prickett are stepping up to cater to that demand.

“There has been a worldwide growth in interest, and we’re seeing it here too,” said Donna Tarasawa, marketing manager of the First Alternative Co-

Op in Corvallis. Up until 2006, the co-op didn’t track its local products separately from total sales. Since they started keeping the data, local sales have increased 10 percent.

James Young, offi ce assistant at Gathering Together Farm, a vegetable grower in Philomath, said that while the onsite farm stand closes the week before Thanksgiving, it continues to sell crops throughout the winter at indoor farmers markets in both Corvallis and Newport. Winter squash varieties, root crops like potatoes, greens, and brassica crops like cabbages and broccoli will continue to be available — and in demand —throughout the holiday season, he said.

A 2011 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture said that sales directly to consumers at local farms and markets have nearly doubled in the past two decades. And when sales to grocers or restaurants were added in, sales of local foods totaled $4.8 billion.

Even traditional grocery stores are now playing up their local offerings. At Fred Meyer stores, signs are now prominently displayed, calling attention to produce and meats from Northwest growers.

“The buying staff has worked with local growers for years,” said Courtney Myers, store director of the Corvallis Fred Meyer location. “That’s been our method of operation for some time. But there has been

Farmer Rachel Prickett and her dog, Emmie, are photographed with turkeys at Provenance Farm in Philomath Oct. 30. (Amanda Cowan | Corvallis Gazette-Times)

Continued on page 12


Farmer Rachel Prickett of Provenance Farms works with turkeys in Philomath. (Amanda Cowan | Corvallis Gazette-Times)

Ingredients:

1 pasture-raised turkey, giblets removed form cavity

4 cups kosher salt

2 cups brown sugar

4 gallons water

About 20 whole peppercorns, crushed fresh sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, a few dashes of soy sauce, a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce

Method:

If neck is still on the turkey, cut it off. In a clean, food-safe 5-gallon bucket, dissolve sugar and salt into water.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix.

Add turkey.

Fill with ice.

Cover with lid and leave outside or in a cool place for 12 to 24 hours.

Turkey Brine

Ingredients:

1 brined pasture-raised turkey

1 bunch fresh sage

10 onions, quartered

10 carrots, quartered

4 tablespoons unsalted, melted butter

Method:

Heat over to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Stuff turkey cavity with sage, and either more onions or your own stuffi ng recipe.

Scatter carrots and onions on a large roasting pan.

Place turkey on top of onions and carrots.

Tuck the wings under the body.

Brush turkey with melted butter.

Roast the turkey for 45 minutes.

Loosely cover with foil.

Periodically baste the turkey with any juices from the bottom of the roasting pan.

Cook for 2 to 2 and 1/4 hours longer, but only until the leg easily pulls away from the rest of the body.

Reserve any remaining liquids in the pan for your favorite gravy recipe.

Let the turkey rest for about 20 minutes before carving, keeping covered with foil.

Cooking the turkey (adapted by Prickett from Real Simple magazine)

Prickett Family Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe (Rachel Prickett, Provenance Farm)

more of a push on the promotional side of it.”

Myers said his customers like knowing where their food comes from. “We do get positive feedback that they appreciate it when we purchase locally,” he said.

In some cases, those local choices come with a higher price tag. For instance, a conventionally grown turkey from a national chain will cost less than a dollar per pound at grocery stores in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. At the First Alternative Co-Op, an organic heritage breed bird from California is $2.39 per pound. A locally raised free-range turkey, purchased from the co-op or from farmers like Prickett, is about $4.99 per pound.

Cynthia Kapple, co-owner of Midway Farms on Highway 20 between Albany and Corvallis, said raising a heritage breed bird and letting it forage in the fi elds is a more expensive — and riskier — proposition for the farmer. “They are harder to raise, and you have to account for some loss,” she said. “If you plan to sell 15, you have to start with 20. It’s a bigger investment for the farmer.”

However, growers and retailers say consumers seem willing to pay the higher prices. Kapple is all sold out of turkeys for the year, though she still has ducks and geese available, which she says also make an excellent holiday meal.

At Provenance Farm, Prickett still has a few turkeys of the 100 she raised this year that are not spoken for. Right now, the birds are chasing grasshoppers and digging for worms in the pasture. During the next month, they’ll reach their fi nal weights—anywhere from 10 to 25 pounds—and then be butchered on site, in the Pricketts’ state-certifi ed poultry processing facility.

Watching the birds forage, Prickett, a slender 28-year-old with a tiny turquoise nose ring, said she feels lucky to be part of a burgeoning crop of young farmers who have entered the profession recently, partly because of the increased demand for local food that makes their small-scale methods viable.

“I got in at the right time,” she said. “I feel like we’re at the crest of a wave, and there are no signs of it slowing down.”



Locavore’s shopping list: where to find locally grown staples for your holiday meal

Mid-valley residents are lucky; the area has a number of farmers markets and retailers that carry fresh, local foods, plus dozens of farmers who sell direct to the public. The best way to find a listing of local farmers or foods is at the website of the Ten Rivers Food Web, (www.tenriversfoodweb.org) a group devoted to promoting food grown in Linn, Benton and Lincoln counties.

Here’s a list of our own, with sources for some traditional holiday items. It’s not intended to be a complete list—search local sources yourself to find other growers and retailers in addition to those listed here.

Turkey: First Alternative Co-op, Corvallis; Provenance Farm, Philomath.

Potatoes: multiple options; farmers markets, farm stands and grocery stores all carry local potatoes at this time of year

Bread or rolls: Big River bakery produces local breads daily, as do many other bakeries. If you’re interested in baking your own, you can purchase locally grown flour from Greenwillow Grains, Tangent.

Sweet Potatoes: multiple options; farmers markets, farm stands and grocery stores all carry local root vegetables at this time of year

Green Beans: most farmers and retailers don’t have fresh locally grown green beans at this time of year, but Stahlbush Island Farms

of Corvallis sells frozen local green beans, available at First Alternative Co-Op, Fred Meyer, and other grocers.

Cranberries: None are produced in Linn or Benton counties, but growers on the southern Oregon coast, just a few counties away, are a leading producer of cranberries. Available at First Alternative and other grocers.

Apples and cider: Many local farms and markets have local apples, perfect for pies, right now, and many sell their own cider as well. Two Towns Ciderhouse, Corvallis, uses Northwest ingredients to produce its hard ciders.

Pumpkins for pie: Stahlbush Island Farms produces canned pumpkin puree, sold under the “Farmer’s Market Foods” brand name, available at First Alternative and other grocers. If you want to make your own pumpkin puree, locally grown “sugar” or “pie” variety pumpkins and squashes are available from many farmers markets, farm stands and grocery stores at this time of year.

Crust for pie: The two key ingredients to a good home-made pie crust are flour (available locally from Greenwillow Grains, Tangent); and some kind of fat. Locally grown options are butter (available from Noris Dairy, Scio; or lard (available from Deck Family Farm, Junction City).

Whipped cream for pie: Dessert isn’t complete without whipped cream on top. Lochmead Farms of Junction City sells locally produced whipping cream, available at Dari-Mart stores and other grocers.

- Jennifer Rouse

Old-fashioned Scalloped Potatoes

Donna Tarasawa, First Alternative Co-Op

Ingredients

2 cups thinly sliced onion

9 Tbsp. butter

6 Tbsp. flour

2 ½ cups 2 percent milk

1 cup Nancy’s sour cream

2 ½ pounds potatoes

1 ½ cups cheese (choose a local mild cheese)

1/3 cups dry bread crumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a skillet cook the onion and 2 Tbsp. of the butter over medium-low heat, stirring, until the onion is very soft.

In a heavy saucepan melt 6 Tbsp. of the remaining butter, whisk in the flour and cook the roux, whisking, for 3 minutes. Add the milk, in a stream, and sour cream, whisking, and bring the sauce to a boil.

Simmer the sauce, whisking, for 1 minute and add salt and pepper to taste.

Slice the potatoes into 1/8-inch thick slices.

Spread about a third of the sauce in the bottom of a well-buttered 3-quart casserole

that is at least 2 ½” deep. Cover the sauce with a layer of potato slices, overlapping the slices slightly; cover the potatoes with a third of the onions.

Sprinkle the onions with a third of the cheese; continue to layer the remaining sauce, potatoes, onion and cheese in the same manner.

Sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs, melt and drizzle remaining 1 Tbsp. butter over top.

Bake the mixture, covered with foil, at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove the boil and bake 30-35 minutes more, or until top is golden and potatoes are tender.

Cranberry Salad (First Alternative Natural Foods Co-Op)

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh cranberries

4 red apples (unpeeled, sliced)

1 orange (unpeeled, sliced)

1 cup sugar

Method:

Grind fruit together in a food grinder or food processor.

Add sugar gradually, mixing to taste.

Chill and serve as a salad, or a relish with roast poultry.

Looking for some inspirations to use local foods for your holiday table?

Try these recipes from First Alternative Co-op

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NORTH STORE: 2855 NW Grant

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*Mary’s free-range or organic turkey, or Tofurky Feast or Roast, thru 11-21-12

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Can make-ahead foods still taste fresh come mealtime? Absolutely. Here’s a guide to what to make ahead, when to make it, how to store it,

and how to reheat it | by Dawn Klingensmith, CTW Features

Cook Now, Eat Later, Skip the Stress

Getting Thanksgiving dinner – or any holiday feast – on the table can seem like a math word problem gone awry:

Question: If it takes 4 hours to cook a 15-pound turkey, and three of the side dishes need something done to them “just before serving,” how many times will the cook wish there were an easier way without resorting to boxed or “instant” imposters of traditional favorites?

Answer: Probably countless times, and each of them unnecessary

because many side dishes can be prepared or partially prepared a day or more in advance. And certain freezer-friendly recipes can be made weeks or months in advance and still taste fresh come mealtime.

“When it comes to a traditional Thanksgiving meal, everything but a green salad and the turkey can be made ahead, frozen and reheated on the holiday,” says Michele Borboa, a personal chef from Bozeman, Mont., and author of “Make-ahead Meals Made


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Healthy” (Fair Winds Press, 2011). “Bread-based stuffings are especially easy to fix and freeze, but you can also freeze mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and rice dishes, so all you have to do is thaw or reheat and serve.”

It’s simply math: An earlier start plus Borboa’s step-by-step instructions equals more time for friends and family over the holidays.

2 months in advanceBread-based and rice stuffings can

be fully assembled, baked, cooled and frozen. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven.

Or, start two days ahead to save time without freezing. Cube and bake bread until lightly toasted, cool, and store at room temperature in an airtight container. For rice stuffings, steam the rice, let it cool completely, and store in the refrigerator.

Chop onions, celery, carrots and other vegetables your recipe calls for. Store them in the refrigerator to sauté on the holiday, or sauté them in advance, cool and refrigerate until you assemble the stuffing. If your recipe calls for nuts, toast and store them in an airtight container.

“On Thanksgiving Day, all you have to do is assemble the prepped ingredients along with broth and any other ingredients” such as herbs and spices, and then follow instructions for cooking, Borboa says.

Cranberry sauce can be made up to two months in advance, cooled completely and frozen.

1 month in advance“Raw potatoes don’t freeze well,”

Borboa warns, “but mashed potatoes can be made up to one month in advance. Make your favorite mashed potatoes, spread them in a greased casserole dish and cool completely. Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly over the potatoes, and wrap the casserole dish tightly with heavy-duty foil.”

To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and place in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. “You may have to adjust the butter, milk and seasonings but the hard work is done well in advance,” Borboa says.

Also an advocate of doing as much as possible ahead of time, Chicago event planner Debi Lilly believes quality suffers for certain dishes. “Mashed potatoes absolutely cannot be made in advance. To me, the best texture is when they’re fresh off the stovetop,” says Lilly, president of A Perfect Event. “They come out warm and creamy, and they just don’t carry that same consistency when reheated. They get a little lumpier and dry out, and the texture changes.”

The gravy that goes on top of them also requires same-day preparation, according to Lilly: “It’s very fatty and

tends to separate,” she says.

If you’d rather not freeze mashed potatoes, you can save time with this fix-ahead tip: Wash and scrub potatoes, cut them into chunks, and place in a large pot. Fill with enough cold water to cover the potatoes and add a generous pinch of salt and the juice of one lemon to keep potatoes from browning. Potatoes can stay covered in water, refrigerated, for up to two days, Borboa says. When ready to cook, drain the water and boil in fresh water.

2 weeks in advance“I prefer fresh-baked breads and

rolls since freezing them can take away from their taste and texture, but if frozen properly, they can be made two to three weeks in advance and reheated on Thanksgiving Day,” Borboa says.

Allow fresh-baked rolls to cool completely, and then place them on a baking sheet. Place in the freezer until just solid. Place rolls in heavy-duty freezer bags, squeeze the air out, seal and freeze. You can simply let them thaw at room temperature overnight and serve them or warm them in the oven.

2 days in advance“You can’t cook an entire turkey

and reheat it without ruining quality and increasing your chances of food poisoning,” Borboa warns, “but you can

prep a few ingredients to save time.”

A day or two ahead, cut oranges, onions, celery, carrots, herbs and other ingredients you plan to use to flavor the turkey. “I don’t like soggy stuffing so I bake stuffing in the oven and fill the cavity of the turkey with aromatics and shove herbs, spices, citrus, onions and garlic beneath the skin of the turkey,” Borboa says. “I prep the ingredients ahead of time so all I have to do on Thanksgiving Day is put them in place in the turkey before putting it in the oven.”

1 day in advance“When it comes to salads, I say

fresh is best, but you can certainly chop vegetables and other salad ingredients a day in advance and then assemble them on Thanksgiving Day and allow them to chill before serving,” Borboa says. “Always put the dressing on right before serving since vinegar and other acidic ingredients will wilt salad greens.”

Thanksgiving Day“It’s best to prep fruit salads the

day you serve them because the fruit tends to turn brown,” Borboa says. “Even when you have citrus juice mixed with them, they don’t have the vibrancy of being just sliced or diced. I’d wait until right before serving to add bananas since they tend to get soggy when mixed with juicy fruit.”

Mid-Valley Newspapers, November 6, 2012 16

2012 holiday planning & entertaining

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