ham Archives - Fresh From Oregon

Washington Asparagus Fresh at your local Market Now!

May 22, 2019 · by Carrie Trax ·

Fresh picked Washington Asparagus is popping up out of the ground and into your local stores. Here in the Pacific Northwest now is the peak of the season for fresh Washington Asparagus. The excellent growing climate and rich soil makes Washington State the largest grower of asparagus in the United States. If you are driving through eastern Washington you will see workers cutting asparagus by hand daily.

Here are a few storage tips once you bring home your fresh asparagus. They are very thirsty and like wet feet. Store stalks upright in a bowl or tall jar with an inch of water and place in refrigerator. If you do not have room just wrap the cut ends in a moist paper towel, cover with plastic and refrigerate.

Here are some Facts about Washington Asparagus:

Washington State is the largest grower of asparagus in the United States.
The largest domestic producers are currently Washington, Michigan, and California, in that order.
There are about 80 Washington asparagus farmers within a 100-mile radius of Washington’s Tri-Cities.
Washington asparagus is produced on roughly 5,000 acres spanning the Columbia Basin, the Yakima Valley and the Walla Walla area.
Asparagus takes approximately two years from planting to harvestable maturity.
Asparagus can grow as much as 10 inches in one day in peak season.
Asparagus plants are very long-lived, and can last up to 25 years. Asparagus plants have been known to live for 100 years.

Asparagus Bundles
1 bunch Washington Asparagus (about 12-16 oz) ends trimmed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
pepper
2 sheets frozen puff pastry thawed
8 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
12 slices ham, sliced thin
1 egg beaten

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry out to a large rectangle about double the original size. Square off edges and cut into 6 squares. (I use a pizza cutter to do this)

Toss asparagus in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

To make the bundles, place slice of ham on top of the square. Follow with 3-4 stalks of asparagus (depending on size) and 1-2 TBSP of the Swiss cheese.

Lift two opposite corners of the puff pastry squares and wrap them around the asparagus and press to seal. Brush puff pastry with egg wash. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper if desired.

Bake until puff pastry is golden and puffed, about 12-15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Bays English Muffins perfect for your Lunch Box!

October 18, 2015 · by Carrie Trax ·

Last month I was in Seattle for the 2015 International Food Blogger Convention where I got to network with other amazing food bloggers. I also had the opportunity to meet many companies in the food industry. One of the companies I had the pleasure of talking to was Bays English Muffins. I had the chance to talk to and watch George Bay, grandson and namesake of the family run business create some amazing sandwiches with Bays English Muffins. As I was watching George make a few sandwiches piled high with some savory ingredients I thought Bays English Muffins are not just a breakfast item but would make a great sandwich for anytime of the day. Thanks to Bays English Muffins I went home with some free packages of English Muffins ready to create my own sandwich combinations. The first thing I noticed when I opened the packages was how soft and fresh they felt. Bays maintains its standard of excellence by using only Hawaiian cane sugar, Minnesota spring wheat and whole milk, Wisconsin AA butter, and potato flour. This is why you will need to look in the refrigerated dairy case of your grocery store for them. All their muffins are made to order, and leave the factory within 24 hours of their baking and are shipped across the country in refrigerated trucks. Check out the quick and easy sandwiches I created with my Bays English Muffins.

Cuban English Muffin Sandwich
1 Bays English Muffin, lightly toasted
2 thick slices ham
2 slices Swiss cheese
1 dill pickle, sliced
Yellow mustard
Butter

On the inside of each Bays English Muffin spread a thin layer of yellow mustard and top each side with a piece of Swiss cheese. On one Bays English Muffin side place the ham and on the other side place the sliced pickles. Put the two sides together and brush the outside of each Bays English Muffin with butter. Place on a hot flat top grill or in a hot skillet over medium heat. Cook each side until golden brown and the cheese is melted. Remove from heat and it is ready to eat.

Hawaiian English Muffin Sandwich
1 Bays English Muffin, lightly toasted
2 thick slices ham
2 slices Swiss cheese
2 thin slices grilled peppered pineapple*
1 tablespoons cream cheese
Butter

On the inside of each Bays English Muffin spread the cream cheese. On one Bays English Muffin side place the ham and on the other side place the grilled peppered pineapple. Put the two sides together and brush the outside of each Bays English Muffin with butter. Place on a hot flat top grill or in a hot skillet over medium heat. Cook each side until golden brown. Remove and it is ready to eat.

* To prepare pineapple coat two thinly sliced pineapple pieces with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse black pepper. In a lightly buttered saute pan grill each side of the pineapple until lightly brown. Should only take a few minutes.

Monte Cristo English Muffin Sandwich
1 Bays English Muffin, lightly toasted
1 thick slice ham
2 slices turkey
2 slices Swiss cheese
2 teaspoons strawberry jam
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon butter
Powdered sugar

On the inside of each Bays English Muffin side spread 1 teaspoon of strawberry jam and a piece of Swiss cheese. On one Bays English Muffin side place the ham and on the other side place the sliced turkey. Put the two sides together, set aside. In small bowl beat the egg and milk. Add butter to a hot flat top grill or in a hot skillet over medium heat. Dip sandwich into the egg mixture making sure to dip both sides. Cook each side until golden brown and the cheese is melted. Remove from heat and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Tip: You can wrap in a piece of foil to keep sandwiches warm if making several sandwiches.

New Years Traditions ~ What’s yours?

December 30, 2014 · by Carrie Trax ·

What’s your family’s favorite New Year’s food tradition? Around the world many people celebrate the new year with many food traditions. On New Year’s eve you will smell a prime rib roast cooking in my oven. At midnight my family will share a piece of a New Year’s Pretzel. New Year’s Pretzels are said to bring good luck and prosperity in the new year and are to be eaten at midnight or before breakfast on New Year’s Day. There are a few different stories about the origins of the New Year’s Pretzel. Some say that the New Year’s Pretzels were fashioned after the way in which German monks prayed. By crossing arms across the chest in the traditional prayer style, the German monks would pray for peace, health and prosperity for everyone in the surrounding village.

On New Year’s day a pork roast covered with my homemade sauerkraut will be slow roasting in my dutch oven pot. I will serve the pork roast with creamy mashed potatoes. This is a tradition both my husband and I have celebrated since we were children. We were always told this would bring us good luck for the coming year.

This year I wanted to try a recipe the southern branch of my family prepares every year, black-eyed peas. I had a ham hock left over from Christmas and this will be perfect to flavor the dish. According to Southern folklore, the first food to be eaten on New Year’s Day for luck and prosperity throughout the year ahead are black-eyed peas. The practice of eating black-eyed peas for luck is generally believed to date back to the Civil War. Here are some ways people serve them:

Served with greens (collards, mustard or turnip greens, which varies regionally), the peas represent coins and the greens represent paper money. In some areas cabbage is used in place of the greens.
Cornbread, often served with black-eyed peas and greens, represents gold.
For the best chance of luck every day in the year ahead, one must eat at least 365 black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day.
Black-eyed peas eaten with stewed tomatoes represent wealth and health.
In some areas, actual values are assigned with the black-eyed peas representing pennies or up to a dollar each and the greens representing anywhere from one to a thousand dollars.
Adding a shiny penny or dime to the pot just before serving is another tradition practiced by some. When served, the person whose bowl contains the penny or dime receives the best luck for the New Year, unless of course, the recipient swallows the coin, which would be a rather unlucky way to start off the year.

How ever you serve them they are tasty and will be on my table this year.

Black-Eyed Peas with a Ham Hock

1 pound dried black eyed peas

1 ham bone or ham hock

2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning*

salt to taste

Sort the beans and remove any stones or bad beans. Rinse with cold water and set aside. In a stock pot, bring ham bone or ham hock and 1 quart of stock to a boil; simmer for 1 hour before starting to cook beans. Add the black-eyed peas into pan with ham hock and add the other quart of stock and enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Add onion, garlic, pepper and creole seasoning. Bring back to a boil and simmer 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender. Add salt. (If you are using ham hock, omit the salt. The ham hock will give the peas a more complex flavor and enough salt.) Allow beans to rest for @ 30 minutes before serving.

* I did not have this creole seasoning so I made my own up using this recipe ~ Creole Seasoning

There will be plenty of extra left so save to season chicken, seafood or your favorite southern dish.

Sources ~ About Travel and Just a Pinch

Washington Asparagus Fresh at your local Market Now!

Bays English Muffins perfect for your Lunch Box!

New Years Traditions ~ What’s yours?

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