Spring 2021
Can-do attitude
Home canning had already been making a comeback. Then the pandemic hit. » More ...
Agriculture
Spring 2021
Brewing the perfect cup of coffee
Coffee is both simple—just ground beans and hot water—and complex, with hundreds of volatile compounds that give each roast its unique flavor. Really good coffee is something special, even sublime. And, with so many of us spending more time at home during the persisting novel coronavirus pandemic, a cup of hot, delicious coffee seems especially comforting.
When preparing your favorite style of coffee, here are several points to consider.
The cup—Size and shape do matter. Big wide-rimmed mugs hold a lot, but also cool coffee quickly. Porcelain and ceramic surfaces influence the temperature and taste of the coffee. Both are neutral so you … » More …
Spring 2021
Food preservation and the pandemic
Stephanie Smith is a statewide consumer food safety specialist at Washington State University. She performs food safety research, writes a monthly food safety column in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News, and provides technical support and training for WSU’s food safety specialists in more than thirty counties statewide. She also provides technical expertise and training to retail food businesses and workers, and very small food processors and growers.
How has the pandemic impacted WSU’s county-based food specialists?
The county offices have been mostly shut down because of the pandemic. They’re still returning calls and emails, trying to do what they can. In general, there … » More …
Spring 2021
Colleen Taugher cooks lamb
Her go-to preparation features hand-ground anchovy-herb paste.
But don’t worry: the anchovies don’t come across as tasting fishy. They simply add a salty, savory flavor that beautifully blends with the distinctive-tasting lamb meat.
Colleen Taugher, co-owner of the 85-acre Mellifera Farm in Troy, Idaho, and recently retired director for global research and engagement in the Office of International Programs at Washington State University Pullman, typically makes the paste with rosemary.
That’s how she prepared it when she served her farm-raised Iceland lamb to a delegation of 18 student journalists from Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. They were visiting WSU in summer 2019 … » More …
Spring 2021
Lamb and mint recipes
Unlike your grandma’s store-bought neon green mint jelly, scratch-made mint jelly is naturally golden-hued. Make your own at home to pair with lamb and consider these other lamb-and-mint recipes, too.
Roast Rack of Lamb with Fresh Mint Vinaigrette
from Linda Burner Augustine (’83 Home Econ., Honors)
Roasting a rack of lamb is easier than you might think. The key is to begin with a high-quality rack of lamb purchased at a reliable meat department or butcher. Most lamb racks have eight bones in them which means eight chops. They are usually “frenched,” and this simply means the meat has been … » More …
Winter 2020
Cosmic Crisp recipes
Sweet, tart, juicy, firm. These traits make the Cosmic Crisp® super versatile in the kitchen.
The new apple, developed at Washington State University and grown—at least for now—only in Washington, is good in both sweet or savory dishes as well as raw or cooked, standing up to heat and holding its shape and texture.
Its myriad culinary uses include brightening soups, sauces, salads, slaws, and salsas—and even topping pizza. Of course, with its satisfying snap-crunch, the flavorful Cosmic Crisp, a registered trademark, is a good eating apple, too—raw and right out of your hand, or sliced and served with brie or dipped in peanut butter or … » More …
Winter 2020
Cosmic Crisp, WA 2, and what’s next
Cosmic Crisp® isn’t the first Washington State University apple to go to market. That distinction goes to WA 2, or Sunrise Magic®.
Like Cosmic Crisp, Sunrise Magic was bred at WSU for Washington growers. But it wasn’t launched with the same hype. And it still isn’t as well-known as its successor. Proprietary Variety Management, which is handling the commercialization of both Cosmic Crisp and Sunrise Magic, is working to change that—just as WSU’s pome fruit breeding program continues working on creating new varieties.
Winter 2020
WSU, small farms, and the pandemic
“This pandemic has exposed every weakness in our food system,” says Nicole Witham, statewide coordinator of the Washington State University Food Systems Program. “It has exposed every supply chain issue”—especially early on.
“Food wasn’t showing up at food banks,” says Witham (’10 Int. Des). “Grocery stores were experiencing shortages. All of a sudden, our team was doing food-system response work,” including involvement with a statewide task force.
When lockdown orders first went into effect, Witham says, Washington state’s small farmers “lost all of their restaurant accounts and many of their wholesale accounts right off the bat. Many had to switch to online farmers market platforms or online sales.”
While traditional … » More …
Winter 2020
More faces of small farms
Meet more of Washington state’s small farmers here — from the godmother of the modern small farms movement to the owner and operator of a 100-percent grass-fed dairy and more.
Introducing: Lora Lea Misterly (Quillisascut Farm), Jill Smith (Pure Éire Dairy), Martin and Charlotte Frederickson (One Straw Ranch), and Jason and Margaret Parsley (Omache Farm)
Read about small farmers and WSU support.
Lora Lea Misterly
Quillisascut Farm, Rice
Lora Lea Misterly was a 4-H kid. Growing up on a small farm near Leavenworth, she raised dairy calves and livestock … » More …
Winter 2020
New stars on the market shelf
Festive Cosmic Crisp® apples are a hit for eating fresh or cooking. » More ...