An eye-popping display of carrots from the Organic Seed Alliance that were turned into a creamy orange carrot panna cotta, served with purple carrot toasted sesame reduction and garnished with garlicky fried spring onions by chef Janna Shields.
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Peace Seedlings introduced yacon, oca, and mashua, tubors that are a staple in some South American countries but are little known here.
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Peace Seedlings introduced yacon, oca, and mashua, tubors that are a staple in some South American countries but are little known here.
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Not space creatures. It’s celeriac!
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Not space creatures. It’s celeriac!
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Chef Katy Millard, of beloved Tabor restaurant Coquine, plates potato terrines with tonnato and Cantabrian anchovies, showcasing potatoes from Row 7 Seed Company.
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Chef Katy Millard, of beloved Tabor restaurant Coquine, plates potato terrines with tonnato and Cantabrian anchovies, showcasing potatoes from Row 7 Seed Company.
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An array of turmeric came from GoFarm Hawaii, an organization working to increase the number of sustainable, local agricultural producers in the Hawaiian Islands.
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A sprawling display of unique cauliflower and collard green varieties, by Friends of Family Farmers.
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A sprawling display of unique cauliflower and collard green varieties, by Friends of Family Farmers.
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An array of turmeric came from GoFarm Hawaii, an organization working to increase the number of sustainable, local agricultural producers in the Hawaiian Islands.
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Indigo: not just for jeans anymore!
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Purple produce is having a moment. Everything from brussels sprouts and broccoli to and kale, carrots, and cauliflower came in a range of striking, violet hues.
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Move over, squid ink. Noodles colored with indigo from Grand Prismatic Seed made for a stunning display. Here, they were served chilled with kimchi, pickled veggies, benne seeds, and chile-soy dressing, a creation of Karl Holl, of Park Avenue/ Spatzle and Speck.
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The nonprofit Dry Farming Institute showed off dozens of varieties of potatoes, as part of its work advocating for farming practices that require little to no irrigation.
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The nonprofit Dry Farming Institute showed off dozens of varieties of potatoes, as part of its work advocating for farming practices that require little to no irrigation.
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Indigo: not just for jeans anymore!
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Purple produce is having a moment. Everything from brussels sprouts and broccoli to and kale, carrots, and cauliflower came in a range of striking, violet hues.
19
Move over, squid ink. Noodles colored with indigo from Grand Prismatic Seed made for a stunning display. Here, they were served chilled with kimchi, pickled veggies, benne seeds, and chile-soy dressing, a creation of Karl Holl, of Park Avenue/ Spatzle and Speck.
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An eye-popping display of carrots from the Organic Seed Alliance that were turned into a creamy orange carrot panna cotta, served with purple carrot toasted sesame reduction and garnished with garlicky fried spring onions by chef Janna Shields.
I have seen the produce of the future. And it is purple. And pink. And blue.
The Culinary Breeding Network’s Annual Variety Showcase on Sunday brought together agricultural insiders, some of the city’s top restaurants, and hungry Portlanders in a glorious, edible celebration of color and flavor inside The Redd event space on SE Salmon.
An annual event since 2014, the showcase gives people who often work behind the scenes in the agriculture industry—farmers, plant breeders, organic seed producers, and agriculture researchers—a rare chance to meet directly with consumers. And it gives Portlanders a peek at new fruits and veggies that might soon appear on local menus, and at unusual varieties they can incorporate into their own gardens.
The Culinary Breeding Network is a local nonprofit with a mission to support the independent, organic agricultural community as they develop better-quality, better-tasting cultivars of fruits, vegetables, and grains.
At the Variety Showcase on February 16, tables overflowed with bright orange, purple, and yellow carrots; rosy pink radicchio and squash; turmeric flesh in vibrant orange, white, and eye-catching blue; red, pink, and ghost-white beets; and purple “greens” of all sorts. To show off this bounty, Portland chefs paired up with farmers, plant breeders, and seed growers, turning unique, lesser-known varieties into stellar sample-size dishes. Highlights included Maya Lovelace’s (Mae) crispy collards with “potlikker” sauce and a crunchy black garlic crumble, Deepak Saxena’s (DesiPDX) Hawaiian turmeric pulled pork, Karl Holl’s (Park Avenue Fine Wines, Spatzle and Speck) chilled indigo noodles with kimchi and pickled veggies, and Eb & Bean’s Namwah banana frozen yogurt topped with salted honey amaranth pops.Â
If the Variety Showcase gave us a look at the next wave of local food, rest easy. The future looks bright.
