shop local outtakes part two

 

hello. here is more from the shop local ballard project i worked on for a friend. most all of these shots are from one place, bop street records. it was too cool in there to not go crazy with my camera. even though i think the store would have looked great on film, i'm glad i could use my digital and shoot with abandon. and i'm glad i could see if the light was right instantly. (don't worry film, you're still my number one).  the first shot is a cool stamp and engraving shop and the last two shots are from the people's pub. 

have you had a chance to read or add to the june lists? they are great! (scroll down to comments)

shop local outtakes part one

 

sunday, i was invited to do an impromptu photo shoot around the ballard neighborhood for my friend's graphic design portfolio. it is a project called shop local ballard. we got a lot of shots with people shopping, happy customers and unique styles. these are a few of my favorites. more tomorrow.

shops: the secret garden bookshop, annie's art and frame, ballard home comforts, the palm room

bike to work day

it's bike to work day! may is bike month and all month i've been joining some coworkers in striving to bike to work more often. some of my coworkers bike everyday, year round and others used to bike more and now are being pushed to get back on the saddle with our enthusiasm. i myself had not ridden my bike to work habitually until may started. it is rejuvenating to have this new goal for myself - to hop on my bike as much as i can. my ride is very short and pretty easy so it is a doable goal that makes me feel great. and my coworkers cheer me on.

today is the actual bike to work day, where there will be stations at heavy bike commuter roads all over the city to hand out fun goodies. i think it's funny that i'm writing this when i so recently posted about seattle transportation last week. i don't think it will be a theme, since i'm no expert just an enthusiast, but in a way it is fitting because seattle's mayor just released an initiative called walk. bike. ride. it's very cool.

happy bike trails!

edible plants

a couple weekends ago we finished up our garden shopping at the seattle tilth edible plant sale. every year i look forward to this sale. seattle tilth stocks so many unique varieties of edible plants that it is hard not to resist wanting to get creative in the garden. seattle tilth is also a really great resource for gardeners in the seattle area.

we ended up with a box full of eggplant, two types of peppers, basil, edible flowers, broccoverde, two heirloom tomatoes, herbs and more. jon and i rode our bikes to the sale and we took jon's cargo bike, which was able to fit our box of edible plants plus a bag of compost. it was such a fun adventure!

now the plants happily sit on the window sill waiting for warmer weather.

p.s. graham, i have more pictures of the sale for you. let's talk.

new food adventures

this weekend i made an excellent new food discovery. rabe! i have definitely heard of broccoli rabe and i've definitely seen the brassicas in my garden go to seed, but i never really put the two together. this weekend we stopped by nash's organic produce stand at the farmer's market and one whole table was dedicated to rabe in all shades and varieties. apparently any brassica (broccoli, kale, cabbage, etc.) that is going to seed is fair game for sauteing and eating. bring it on! we bought a red kale rabe and a green cabbage rabe (see photos above, but ignore the pink from the red chard--the nice lady at the stand set it there for color).

the texture is likened to asparagus in that most of what you eat is stalk. you eat the whole thing so there is the stalk, the leafy greens and the seed portion, which is similar to tender broccoli. the taste is slightly bitter in a good way. almost like horseradish, but much more mellow. so far, i have found it a refreshing variety from my constant kale intake--i love it.

here is how i've cooked it up:

sautéed rabe 
i like  the mixture of red kale and green cabbage rabe, but i would also try red cabbage, green kale and brocolli rabe in an instant.

ingredients:
preferred type of rabe
olive oil
1 clove garlic
butter
salt, pepper
lemon juice
*all amounts are relative, you could make this for 1 or for 4, depending on how much rabe you want to use. you could also mix this with other fully formed brassicas, adding broccoli and cabbage with the stalks and/or kale with the leaves.

1. cut off the very ends of each stalk, separate the leaf from the stalk with a knife or by plucking
2. cut stalk to desired size (i like bite size inches, but you could keep them long like asparagus)
3. smash and peel a clove of garlic, chop fine or put through garlic press
4. heat a sauté pan over medium heat, add a bit of oil and let it warm through
5. once oil is warm add the stalk portion of the rabe. add a pinch of salt and cover for a minute or two
6. once stalks are darker green and a bit softer, add the smashed garlic a slice of butter and the leafs of the rabe. add more salt to taste and pepper. stir to coat and cover
7. cook, uncovering only to stir more
8. once leaves are wilted, take off heat and squeeze a tad bit of lemon juice over the mixture.

viola! eat this mixture on its own for an afternoon snack, with fried tofu and rice for dinner, on top of a slice of toast, next to fish cooked in lemon, with a fried egg...the options are endless.

bon appetit

elliot bay book company

elliot bay book company is one of the most unique bookstores i've been to. all wood, creaky floors and new books (i'm used to funky old stores like this selling only used books). today is their last day inside this space, because within the next few weeks they will be moving locations. for 20+ years elliot bay has resided in the heart of pioneer square, seattle but times are tough and they are making a go at capitol hill. it is a bold, brave and creative move. i can't wait to celebrate their opening and buy some new books to support their endeavor.
good luck, elliot bay!

and right now...

"And right now in this country, magazines, newspapers, and bookstores are drowning polar bears. And if people can't see that or don't want to talk about it, I don't understand them at all." 

-sherman alexie in an interview with mother jones 

today i had the pleasure of hearing sherman alexie speak. ever since i saw his segment on the colbert report where he disparaged the disconnect between those who want to eat local but don't think about shopping locally, or the "local value of a book," i've been tracking his work and reading through a lot of his books.

sherman alexie is one of the few authors who has made the choice to not allow his books to be published in digital format. i realize most authors don't even get a choice on this matter and that makes sherman's choice all the more powerful. he is an author with a long career and many many awards, he uses his clout and sway and he chooses to defend the importance of books and therefore all the jobs and infrastructure that surround them. thank you, sherman.

beyond being publicly bold and brave, he is also an amazing thinker and storyteller who, in his fiction, embraces contradictions, is unafraid to talk about real hard issues, is unafraid to to be honest. i just finished his new book, war dances and his national book award winning the absolutely true diary of a part-time indian. next is another short story collection of his, ten little indians. a list of all his publications is here, as well as more about who sherman alexie is.

assemble gallery and studio

one day i went to pick up some photos i had printed from moonphoto lab and decided to take a little walk and get some coffee. on my way to coffee i ran into this cute little shop that i've never seen before. the ladies in there were nice enough to tell me all about who they are and let me take pictures of their awesome space.
assemble gallery and studio is a new venture by andie wurster and emily grosse, it is located on phinney ridge and functions as a storefront for some top notch hand crafted goods, a workshop space for frequent crafting classes, and a gallery for artists. i swear, every little item in there i wanted to buy. they have such an eye for what is cute and hip and beautiful right now. i hope to go back with more time, more money and better film. maybe i'll even learn how to sew in one of their workshops.

p.s. thank you thank you for adding your march lists to my last post, they were really great! and i couldn't help but feel like i have a little community when i saw all those great lists rolling in.

the best kinds of cafes: essential bakery

 

a few weeks ago, i meet a friend for brunch at essential baking. we weren't really supposed to be taking pictures in there, so i just snapped these three. as you can see, a bit, one wall is stacked high of shelves holding beautiful bread. bread in all different shapes, with flour seeped into the different. this bread wall is by far my favorite thing about essential. it feels like a classic boulangerie in paris. or, like the bakery my dad used to work in on bainbridge island, where i remember coming in and seeing bread on display all the way to the ceiling, in shapes of alligators and mouses. 

the pastry case at essential contains everything from cookies and croissants to chocolate eclairs and fruit tarts. there is a huge chalkboard menu full of homemade sandwiches and soups. and, of course, there is an espresso machine. the wallingford location of essential is a great place to bike to, because it is near the burke-gilman trail. usually i stop there to get a sandwich or pick up a loaf of bread, but on this day i sat with my friend and had a nice latte and apple croissant.

they need support

hi today!
i am going to be slowly making a few changes to this space and before i do, i have to do a post that i've been meaning to do for awhile. see those three pictures on the right sidebar? scroll down a bit, yes, those ones under my contact info. those are my little handmade, makeshift public service announcements (psa). let me tell you a bit about them and why they are important to me.

 support local retailers

this mini-psa links to a great project that i found via (don't laugh) molly moon's blog. the 3/50 project's tagline is "saving the brick and mortars our nation is built on" and their challenge is for you to think about 3 independently owned businesses that you would hate to see die. for one month, spend up to $50 total at those businesses. "pick 3. spend 50. save your local economy." i think that it is useful to just think about which businesses we are attached to and that make our community vibrant. whatever our income, going in and saying hello and purchasing something is a manageable and important task.

support independant bookstores

this psa is close to my heart. okay, you probably know i work in an independant bookstore. and you also probably know that i am strictly against that huge giant we call "amazon.com" but why? well, most people don't know that thier local bookstore can order just about anything you need for you. and your local used/rare bookstore often times carries those hard-to-find or out of print books you are looking for. oh, and the people who work there are real people, devoted to books and to helping you, so why undermine their business by giving your money to one global, online company that seeks to stamp out physical bookstores and the book itself by their aggressive tactics? (i know, i get emotional) my solution to those of you who don't have as wonderful access to local independant bookstores as seattlites have? 1. even a corporate bookstore like barnes and noble and borders employs your fellow neighbors. walk in and say hello. 2. powells.com: because the new and the used and the hard to find are all there, online. and because though it may not be your local bookstore, they do have a physical sight and they are fiercely independant.

best of all, if you aren't sure who is indie and who is not and why indie is important and where is your closest indie....my little tab on the right that i call a public service announcement, it links to indie bound and indie bound will tell you everything. *thanks for listening!

support local and organic farmland

it will soon not be practical to eat food that has travelled across countries and hemispheres just to get to your table. we might as well start supporting our local and organic farmland before it is too late. whether it is shopping at farmer's markets, participating in a csa, requesting from your grocer to stock regionally produced food, or growing your own produce, starting little will make a huge difference on the environment, your local economy and even your health. take a look at local harvest for more information.

all i really want to say is it is important where we put our money and who we support. in whatever way feels important and passionate for you, follow that. i hope these links are fun and this post was more interesting than preaching.

happy monday and to those of you observing, have an easy fast.

the real summer fruit

tomatoes are everywhere!
my csa delivery yesterday consisted of a HUGE bag of cherry and slicing tomatoes.

things i do with tomatoes:
toasted bread, sliced cheddar, sliced tomatoes, salt and pepper.
tomato sauce with zucchini, summer squash, onions and ancho peppers on top of fettuccine.
tomato, green beans and balsamic salad.
tomato and basil and mozzarella: on grilled flatbread, mixed together in a salad, popped into my mouth before i can properly mix them all together.
salsa with hot peppers from my garden, cilantro, lime and salt.
put them all in a glass vase with and call it a center piece (i hope my pictures of that turn out!)

tonight i'm going to roast them and put them alongside chicken breast.
any other ideas of what to do with tomatoes?

*******
replies:
tifanie: thank you, i'm excited for you to come back and visit, too.
lecia: your welcome, i just love the dreamy/eeriness of your photo.
jane, at swim, trinsch: i'm glad you enjoy the photos as much as i do.
ida: i agree, the film adds such a unique quality to the already beautiful ocean!
lecia and lea: thank you for your compliments on the coast post.

and so my shop grows

hello! just stopping in to say that my shop continues to grow. i am adding new item everyday and continuing to think of crafty ideas to share my photos. i have business cards in hand, pretty packaging material and promotion postcards that i can't wait bundle all together and send out!
note cards and postcards are coming soon + a secret surprise that will be revealed in time. i hope you can stop by and see what's new.




also, i am open to suggestions so if there is an image of mine you don't see on there that you think would do well, let me know! i love your opinion.

hope you have a relaxing sunday. yesterday i took a hike that is known for its huckleberry bushes. we picked quite a few of those little sweet berries (until i fell and decided to head straight back to the car). now i am off for a bike ride to the farmer's market, looking for some pickling projects. green beans? cucumbers? carrots? should be tasty!

*****
inspired by lea, i am replying to comments here:
lecia: good for you! enjoy the beach and the last weekend of summer.
ida: i'm glad you enjoyed both links!

inspiration to get you through

some great inspiring links that have kept my wheels turning all day.

*brian ferry's newest project. i think it is ingenious! he pushes the envelope of scrapbooking and photo collecting with this simple, elegant and well put together book.

*on choice via nectar & light. you may all know about my faithfulness and passion in supporting independent bookstores. well, this post reminds us of the importance of being locally or independently minded when it comes to any type retailer. i love this quote "A company that is making enormous profits in a recession doesn't need me. That's all. That's my choice. I won't judge you for yours." i have to agree that when it comes to choosing where and who i give my money to, i'd like to choose wisely.

one more day to the weekend! any end of summer plans you'd like to share?

***
comments to last posts' comments:
julia: i love holgas! and i emailed you more description of my experience with them
polly: thank you! i didn't even consider the vintage look of the first shot, but i'm glad you mentioned it.
brian: thanks! those bagels were soooo good.
ida: it took me awhile to get to know my holga. i'm still learning. just wait, i know it will warm up to you soon.
alexandria: thank you so much! i'm glad that you can get the feel of my trip from these photos.
des: nice to meet you and thank you :)