APRIL 18 - 25^TH

My uncurled fingers exposed two crumbled up pieces of foil from the bottles of wine I had just uncorked.

"I’m throwing them out."

"I recycle those."

Of course he does. He also washes and reuses (and reuses! and reuses!) every plastic food container he buys; rips paper towels into quarters so he won’t waste an entire segment on a small task (ditto with paper napkins); won’t toss plastic picnic utensils in the trash; saves up his newspapers for the Boy Scouts; bundles plastic grocery bags together for reuse; tries to fix aging kitchen appliances instead of throwing them out; won’t let Mom forget a pre-heating oven - and is right there to turn it off when the baking’s done; maintains burners under pots at the minimum level for the task.

At 86, you might say that Will Roberts now has time to focus on such things. But my Dad’s always been following us around turning off lights, not wasting food, buying in bulk and giving half away.

He was raised by a depression-era mother, which imprinted him with a keen sense of thrift. But what’s been good for his pocket-book is now, it turns out, the very thing our planet needs to stay healthy. After all, waste is waste. Whether electricity, water, or food, if you use more than you need we all pay for it in the long run

Besides, my father truly does love this planet, especially the wild parts, and wants to make sure that this beauty and wonder is still around for his great grand children’s children. He understands that a part of that goal depends on him and his very small actions.

Indeed, it’s tempting to deny stewardship of our streams and creatures since there’s such an overwhelmingly big picture to consider. But there is a place where you can take a stand for helping the environment. In and around your very own kitchen. All you need is a desire to leave the earth in a little better shape than when you arrived.

So here is my ever-evolving list of ideas to consider. I’ve shared many of them before, but they bear repeating in a climate where more people are trying to take action:

- Recycle. Most local disposal companies make it so easy these days, there’s simply no excuse not to put your week’s worth of used glass, paper, cardboard and aluminum items out on your curb for pick-up.

- Use cloth instead of paper towels for clean-up (but immediately toss them in the wash after wiping up any bacteria-laden mess, such as raw meat juices).

- Don't put blazing hot things in the refrigerator; let them cool down on the counter for 15 minutes so your fridge doesn't have to work so hard.

- When putting groceries away, pile all perishables by the side of the fridge, then load it up all at once so there's not such a fluctuation in temperature.

- When boiling water for tea, don't fill the kettle with more water than you need.

- When cooking pasta, put a lid on the pot so it will come to a boil faster and use less energy; and if you want to be even more careful, do as my friends Chris and Don. When they know they’re going to be cooking pasta later in the day, says Chris, "We fill the pot with water a few hours early to let it warm up to room temperature, which saves a bit of electricity. Or, if it’s a sunny day, put it out in the sun on the patio (lid on), to solar heat a bit."

- Use the correct size burner.

- Get a 2-slot toaster if you don't need a four-slot version; get a toaster oven if you only bake little things.

- Don't run small loads of dirty dishes in the dishwasher.

- Grow some of your own food.

- Buy directly from local farmers either by seeking them out at their farm stands, or by shopping at our Wednesday and Saturday Farmers’ Markets (see note below on location and times), or by shopping at stores that sell locally-grown foods.

- Do some of your shopping at First Alternative Cooperative, which is a community-owned natural foods store. As local writer, Chris Peterson wrote in the April 2005 issue of the The Co-op Thymes, "First Alternative helps you make informed choices by giving you as much information as possible...(at First Alternative) your food dollars work harder for the environment and our community than at any other store in the local area...While everyone else lumbers into the foggy world of global trade where imported food costs less than it can be produced locally, pockets of sanity - food co-ops like ours - nurture food-related environmental ethics until the rest of the world catches up." Well said, Chris!

You don’t have to be a member to shop there (but they’d love it if you were). Just tell the clerk when you check out that you aren’t so she/he won’t try to give you the membership discount.

- Buy food items in glass containers rather than plastic

- Pay attention to how many of the foods you purchase are "over-packaged," then check out the bulk-foods section of your market to see if a similar product will suffice.

- Support supermarkets with serious recycling programs and well-stocked bulk food departments.

- For brown-bag lunches, avoid using containers and packaging that can’t be re-used.

- Cook with a conscience: avoid veal, eat wild salmon and perhaps take another look at your canned tuna usage.

- Keep your kitchen equipment environmentally sound (the fridge runs more efficiently when you've taken the time to vacuum its heat exchanger and kept adequate ventilation around it).

- Give serious thought to eating organic produce. Start learning more about sustainable agriculture and integrated pest management, and if you like what you're reading and hearing, support those stores and growers leaning in this direction.

- Compost your kitchen garbage. Sure, it's a hassle - all those extra steps out to the yard each evening add up - but if you can minimize the use of your garbage disposal, you'll be limiting the stuff that goes to the water treatment plant, which reduces the burden on the over all system, including those glorious lakes and rivers you're so fond of rafting on each spring. Plus, you’ll have produced a fabulous soil amendment for your garden.

The Chefs Collaborative promotes the philosophy of using locally-grown foods, particularly in-season local produce, but also regional specialties from the sea, rivers, and ranches. You'll discover that your frequent visits to a farmer's market has a more immediate pay-off than your other environmentally sound practices. After all, when you bite into a locally-grown cucumber - or peach, or melon, or carrot - you're reminded of how much flavor food can have when it's grown nearby and isn't suffering from jet lag.

In the interest of thinking globally and acting locally, my recipes for this week take advantage of regional and seasonal ingredients. Pacific shrimp are now in season, and there are plenty of lovely greens to bring into the kitchen.

Rhubarb Cake with Sugared Hazelnut Topping

1 cup chopped hazelnuts

1/2 cup granulated sugar

6 tablespoons butter, divided

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1-1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 cup plain low-fat yogurt

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 pound rhubarb, cut into 1-inch chunks

Grease a 13- by 9-inch baking pan; set aside.

Prepare the topping by combing the nuts with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and the cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.

For the cake, beat together the brown sugar with the remaining 4 tablespoons of softened butter and the egg until well blended. Beat in the yogurt. In another bowl, combine the flour with the baking soda and salt, then add to the butter and sugar mixture; stir just to blend. Fold in the rhubarb and spread the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle on the topping.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the center springs back when gently pressed. Makes 8 to 12 servings.

Adapted from "Recipes from America’s Small Farms," by Joanne Lamb Hays and Lori Stein.

Tangy Pacific Shrimp Chowder

The Pacific shrimp season started in April and will wind down the end of October. So this is the perfect time to take advantage of this wonderful part of the Northwest bounty.

3 russet (baking) potatoes

1/4 cup butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 cups finely chopped celery

2-1/2 cups light cream (half and half)

1 cup dry white wine

1-1/2 pounds cooked Pacific shrimp, divided

Salt and white pepper

parsley and chopped green onion for garnish

Peel the potatoes, cut into thirds and boil until soft, then drain well and mash (you will have about 3 cups of mashed potatoes); set aside.^

In a large, heavy pot, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and celery and saute until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the mashed potatoes and light cream, then add the wine, salt to taste, and pepper. Reduce heat to medium low and gently reheat the soup, stirring frequently. This soup base may be prepared up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated.

Just before serving, stir in 1 pound of the shrimp and simmer gently for 5 minutes. If soup is too thick, thin with additional light cream. Garnish each serving with the remaining shrimp, as well as a sprinkling of parsley and green onion. Yields 6 to 8 servings

Adapted from "From Portland's Palate," by the Junior League of Portland.

Lamb Chops with Rosemary-Green Peppercorn Sauce

Spring lamb and blooming rosemary - two seasonal favorites of mine in one recipe.

1 cup red wine

2 shallots, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 cups beef broth

½ cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, divided

1 teaspoon chopped green peppercorns

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 (3- to 4-ounce) lamb chops

2 teaspoons olive oil

To prepare the sauce, put the wine, shallots, and garlic in a heavy saucepan and reduce over high heat until about 1/4 cup of wine remains. Add the broth and reduce over high heat until about 1/3 cup of liquid remains. Add the cream and reduce again over high heat until just about 1 cup of liquid remains. Add 1 teaspoon of the rosemary and the 1 teaspoon of chopped green peppercorns and season to taste with the salt and pepper. Keep warm while preparing the lamb chops.

To prepare the lamb chops, heat the grill on high. Drizzle the chops with the olive oil, rub with the remaining 2 teaspoons of rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Place the chops on the hot grill and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare to medium doneness. Remove from the grill and serve hot with the green peppercorn sauce spooned over the top. Delicious with a big bowl of fresh-and-creamy mashed potatoes, or Caprial’s Seasoned Mashed Baked Potatoes (recipe follows). Makes 4 servings.

Recipe adapted from "Caprial’s Bistro-Style Cuisine," by Caprial Pence.

Fettucine with Smoked Salmon and Asparagus

Two great sources for smoked salmon right now are Emmon’s Meat Market and Harry and Anette’s Fresh Fish. You might also check the farmers’ markets this week.

8 to 9 ounces dried egg fettuccine

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish (not the creamy style)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

6 ounces smoked salmon, cut or broken into 1/2-inch wide ribbons or chunks

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package instructions. Add asparagus to pot for the last 3 minutes of pasta-cooking time.

While asparagus is boiling, heat the cream, horseradish, and dill in a large skillet over medium heat, just until hot, about 1 minute. Drain pasta dn asparagus and add to cream mixture, tossing. Add salmon, and a bit of salt and pepper and gently toss to combine. Serve. Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from Gourmet Magazine, March 2000.

Grilled Wild Salmon Fillets

We’re seeing some wonderful wild salmon in the fish market. Mostly, it’s from Alaska, but in the case of salmon, that’s as regional as it gets for now. Here’s my own most favorite treatment. I start with a foil pan so that during cooking, the butter-soy mixture I brush on the fillets caramelizes around the fish, creating a rich and flavorful sauce to drizzle over the final dish

1/2 cup melted butter

Juice of one lemon

2 tablespoons Kikkoman’s Tempura Sauce (available where Kikkoman soy sauces are sold)

Up to 3 pounds of salmon fillet

1 to 2 Sweet onions, peeled and sliced into rings

Combine the butter, lemon juice and tempura sauce. Create a foil pan out of heavy duty aluminum foil that is only a few inches larger in all directions than the fillet. Drizzle in a few tablespoons of the sauce, then place the fillet on top, skin side down. Drizzle on some more of the butter mixture, then layer on the onions (arranging some of them around the edge of the fish), and drizzle on a bit more sauce) Grill over hot coals or gas burners, basting with the sauce several times. Keep the lid on the grill when not basting the fish. Fish is done when the flesh is just flaking when gently prodded with a fork. Figure on a cooking time of about 10 minutes per inch (measured at thickest part of the fillet).