PDX Food Stories

In this episode we look at a summer favorite, the strawberry. While the early season berries have come and gone, long season strawberries will be at the market through the rest of the summer. Sarah Marshall, of Marshall Haute Sauces and the Preservation Pantry shares tips for preserving berries, and a great idea for eliminating food waste with her Strawberry Topped Salad Dressng. Confused t the difference between jams/jellies/and preserves? We break that down, too.  Later in the show, Dirk shares how our favorite Portland Chefs and food people are featuring strawberries in their work and on their menus.

Today on the show, impact strategist Amelia Pape. Full Disclosure, Amelia and I worked together for several years while she was running her mobile grocery store and her work began to impact the way I think about food, my access to food, and my privilege when it comes to the range of choice when it comes to what I choose to buy and eat. That said, today’s show isn’t heavy, but a big topic that deserves attention, and Amelia is a patient guide through the food insecurity landscape of Portland. I hope you’ll stick with it, and come away with a nugget or two. Closing out the show, I take a look at the culinary darling Turmeric, with Sarah and Dirk Marshall. We explore ways to use it fresh in the kitchen, and how to elevate preserves with this medicinal root.

The pear is the state fruit of Oregon, and now is the best time to try all the varieties grown in Oregon. Today on the show, Sarah and Dirk Marshall and I talk about pears, preserving pears and how chefs are using pears on menus across Portland.

Samantha Chulick, now currently head of PR for Portland's Stumptown Coffee, followed her passion for wine up the west coast. Before landing her last gig at Lane PR, Sam honed her skills writing about wine for Santa Barbara Magazine, and editorial work at Sunset Magazine, among others. Today she is my go to intel for places to eat when traveling through Oregon, or what bottle of natural, local wine to bring to a dinner party. Sam shares her tips for eating and drinking in Portland, and a few PR life lessons that could serve us all well when it comes to playing well with others.  Perhaps you've seen kohlrabi at the farmers market, or, received one or two in your CSA. Did you know what to do with it? Sarah Marshall offers up a few suggestions for preserving, while Dirk recounts how our favorite chefs in Portland are featuring this winter brassica on their menus.

This week, Sarah, Drik, and Mary take a look at Radicchio. This bitter chicory draws a polarizing reaction from the group. Sarah shares a unique preservation application, while Dirk and Mary discuss Portland's favorite way with Radicchio and ideas for cooking at home.

Product Development Manager Sarah Masoni works with small Oregon consumer package goods brands to grow their business and trouble shoot just about every stage of getting a product from ideation to market. With 17 years under her belt at the Food Innovation Center in Portland Oregon, Sarah is creating new events for the community to embrace and champion specialty crops from Portland Oregon.  Later in the show, Spicy duo Sarah and Dirk Marshall uncover how Chefs are using cherry tomatoes on restaurant menus this summer, and Sarah share a can’t miss tip for preserving cherry tomatoes for the winter to come.

Two-time James Beard Award Semifinalist, 2012 Food and Wine Best New Chef, Top Chef Masters contestant Jenn Louis recently published the Book of Greens AND transitioned her popular restaurant Lincoln in NE Portland into Ray, and Israeli eatery. Jenn discusses going from constant to judge in competitive cooking shows and her advice to young chefs looking to get in the game. She also discusses writing cookbooks, gardening, and where you can find her when she isn’t in the restaurant. Sarah and Dirk Marshall kick around ideas for preserving and eating padron peppers, which are coming into bounty at the Farmers Market. A typical Spanish Tapas sees the mild green pepper charred slightly and sprinkled with finishing salt, but Dirk offers several ideas from local restaurants including Park Kitchen, La Moule, and Holdfast dining for turning up the heat on this seasonal favorite.

PR and Marketing Consultant Lindsay Strannigan started her popular food blog, Rosmarried after some gentle encouragement from her husband. Her unique writing and photography style landed her one consulting gig after another. She quite her corporate job in 2013 and launched Strannigan and Sons, a full time PR and Marketing consulting firm focused on the food and beverage industry. In this episode Lindsay talks about making that first step from dreaming about a life in the industry to creating her dream industry job. She also talks about foodblogging then and now, raising food curious kids, and her top spots in Portland for Food and Drink.    Later in the episode I talk cherries with Sarah and Dirk Marshall; how to use them in the kitchen, once you’ve eaten your fill, and how chefs around the city are incorporating peak of the season cherries on their restaurant menus.

Sarah and Dirk Marshall started their boutique hot sauce business, Marshall’s Haute Sauce out of their Portland kitchen and began selling at the Portland Farmer's Market, where you can still see them every Saturday during the summer season.  They discuss build their space in the Portland food community, from the farmers they source from, the chefs they collaborate with, to the entrepreneurs the mentor.  In every episode, Sarah and Dirk help me explore a fresh ingredient at the farmer's market, this episode we explore the mild radish, daikon. Sarah gives listeners some tips for using at home, and Dirk shares how local chefs are using daikon in their kitchens and on their menus.