Nothing like a warm winter sun-break and a bit of chain-sawing to warm a girl up. Sunday night’s wind brought down a small hemlock, already bone-dry and perfectly placed: right next to a road, its butt end still hinged to its stump, the trunk held three feet off the ground all its length. With the sunshine and a newly-sharpened chain,  it was a pleasure to work. Hope you got a chance at the sunshine, too.

The News:

I got this notice from Cathy Fulton today: she’s planning a Vashon Food Summit ”for People Who Eat” this March 5-7. Meetings for volunteers will be held later this week at the Vashon Library (see details below).

Cathy’s web site on the event (link below) says the event is “for Islanders to meet and share information and experience on most any topic regarding food and its impact on Vashon Island. Broad topics include Raising Food, Acquiring & Preparing Food, and The Food Economy.

The purpose is to encourage Islanders to become more aware of the food we eat, to eat more food closer to its source, and learn how to prepare good food more economically. Raising food and food prep will be key areas. We’ll also explore how the way we eat is ultimately a political act. There will be lectures, workshops, panels, organization tables, a “Stone Soup” dinner, and a “Food Celebration.”

The only volunteer meetings for those who would like to help with the Vashon Island Food Summit ( http://vashonfoodsummit.org/) are being held this week at the Vashon Library. The meetings will be Wednesday, January 20, 7:00 pm and Friday, January 22, 11:00 am. You only need to attend one meeting–they will be identical in subject matter.  If you cannot attend either meeting, but would like to like to be involved, let Cathy Fulton know by email or phone: cathy@MariposaGardens.org, 463-5652. 

 A preliminary list of volunteer opportunities can be found on her website at: http://vashonfoodsummit.org/index_files/Page363.htm

And also: mark your calendars for a return of last year’s popular Vegetable Growing Classes: two weekends later, on March 20 and 27, taught again Cathy Fulton and Nancy Lewis-Williams. Nancy and I are developing an article on “The Dollars You Can Save By Growing Your Own.”

Bob Dale’s Hot & Sour Noodle Soup
When the rains return, here’s a very peppy, winter soup that will cheer your bones.

Take a quart of chicken or turkey soup stock, put in kettle and on medium-high heat.

Into the pot add:
1 cup white cabbage, shredded into 1/4″ ribbons
1/3 cup shredded carrot (about 1/3 a carrot)
1 green onion, sliced thin on diagonal
1 celery rib, diced to 1/4″ pieces
Season with:
1 tbls “Sriracha” chili garlic paste (less if you like it less hot)
1 teas. soy sauce
1 teas. rice vinegar
1 teas. rice wine
Once soup comes to a boil, add a handful of wheat noodles (we like straight “Marco Polo” noodles: a hand-grab around a quarter-coin’s thickness is enough for two people).
Stir so noodles don’t clump, then reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until noodles are al dente.
Thicken broth to a silky texture with 1 teas. cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbls. cold water. SERVE.