The Beet
A Port Townsend Food Co-op Blog
Whether you're passionate about healthy recipes, sustainability initiatives, local giving programs, or supporting local farms, we’ve got something for you. Stay connected with the latest co-op news, learn how we’re making a difference in the community, and discover how you can get involved. Join us as we promote eco-friendly living and share the best in organic, local food."
Cozy Winter Chai
Warm up with a delicious cup of Chai, full of winter spices and perfect for these chilly days.
A Victorian Thanksgiving
As we gather for Thanksgiving, let’s honor the diverse influences that shape this imperfect yet important holiday. Yes, history is complex and its stories flawed, but Thanksgiving remains an opportunity to give and gather. Through food and feast, we continue to connect with history, culture, and each other.
Reconsider Sweetness
What’s your first memory of sweetness? Sidonie takes us down memory lane and offers some delicious, sweet recipes with a twist.
Cozy up to fall
As the days grow short and the nights long, we turn inward, relying on our inner resources, and as keepers of the hearth, cooks play a central role in contentment. The need for coziness is real; it uplifts our mood and strengthens connection. Let’s keep our houses homes with a few pleasurable autumnal shifts.
EQUINOX CHARCUTERIE BOARD
With the autumn equinox near, Sidonie Maroon shares how to craft a charcuterie board that celebrates the season’s bounty by using fresh local ingredients.
Rethinking Weeknight Dinners
Weeknight dinners often feel rushed and chaotic, squeezed between work, school activities, and other responsibilities. Can we reinvent dinner into a satisfying experience of connection and wholesome food, while saving time and money?
a to zucchini, Italian Style
Learn the A to Zucchini of Italian summer dishes with Sidonie Maroon.
Summer is the time to cook together
Outdoor cooking is the highlight of some of our most cherished memories with ones that we love. Follow along as we learn some new recipes for our next outdoor get together.
Honoring Dads who Cook
In our community, there are many versions of dads in the kitchen. From professional chefs to occasional sous chefs and backyard grillers, dads who bake pies and sourdough loaves, brew ale, and make kimchi. Dads who grow their own gardens, hunt, and fish. Dads who explore the cuisines of other cultures and prepare daily meals on top of full-time work and parenting. Every culinary dad I know is passionate about some niche gourmet subject or another.
Make Your Own Flavorite Barbecue Sauce
Would you like to develop a signature BBQ sauce but need help understanding what makes them tick? Follow along with Sidonie Maroon as we learn Flavor 101.
What’s Saving me in the kitchen right now?
Once a quarter I’m taking you into my kitchen for a look at what I’m learning, and how it adds to a kitchen life.
Spring Cleaning, Greens and a no knead, gluten free sourdough
My inner Spring cleaning happens while at the sink with soapy hands, hanging up a pot, or grabbing the milk bottle from the fridge. In all these unspectacular, yet contemplative moments of just being, I come to terms with realities and the necessities of change.
Heart Healthy Treats You’ll Love
A treat’s an out of the ordinary occasion. Not hunger easing like the mid-morning snack, but a respite, a reward and a pleasurable experience. We have the power to influence and change our family’s treats for good reasons, while ensuring that they remain delicious.
What Worked for Me in 2023
If you’re serious about improving your culinary skills, then sit down with a cup of coffee close to the new year and reflect on what you’ve learned. Sidonie Shares with us what she’ll be doing in her Kitchen in 2024.
Winter Solstice Recipes
This symbolic time of rebirth and renewal is a magical opportunity to cook up traditions that will see us through our darkest season. Sidonie offers us some beautiful recipes perfect for the season.
Holiday Jingle Without The Jangle
Years ago, I remade Christmas cooking for myself. Little by little, I decided what mattered and let the rest go. And what did matter? — peaceful, contemplative cookie baking while listening to Christmas albums. A big bowl of bright oranges, with amaryllis and paperwhites blooming on the kitchen counter. Singing carols and laughing with my sons while cooking. Cuddling up with my husband and watching the twinkling tree lights in the dark. Having extended family over to make gingerbread. Perfecting my Panettone and Stollen sweet breads and gifting them to whoever comes by. Enjoying this special dedicated time with those I love, and realizing that it’s a lot more about presence than presents.
Kale Takes its Place at the Thanksgiving Table
Sidonie breaks down some of the amazing ways Kale can be served up this holiday season!
Making Soup the Lazy Genius Way
I recently discovered “The Lazy Genius” podcast, hosted by Kendra Adachi, and am enjoying each episode. Her motto is — Embrace what matters, ditch what doesn’t and get stuff done. She’s also written “The Lazy Genius Way”, and “The Lazy Genius Kitchen”. I relate to her organizational approach, and am sharing her principles using soup making as our prompt.
Tarragon Tour
Tarragon in cuisines other than French? Yes! Tarragon is beloved worldwide. See All the unique ways Tarragon can make a dish.