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Wednesday, June 15, 2011
In effort to cut waste, Austinites plan to open package-free grocery store this fall
A group of Austinites is hoping to open a zero-waste grocery store in East Austin this fall that, unlike traditional stores, doesn’t sell food in disposable packaging.
Customers at In.gredients will be asked to bring in their own containers or use the store’s reusable ones to buy items shipped in bulk instead of pre-packaged in boxes, bags or plastic.
In.gredients has started getting the word out about the project through its website, Twitter account and Facebook page.
Marketing director Brian Nunnery says that in order to open store as planned in October, they need to meet several fundraising goals before then. They have started taking contributions through Indie GoGo, but will be hosting other fundraising events later in the year.
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Gettin’ real in the Whole Foods parking lot
Hat tip to copy desk foodie Ponch Garcia for sending me this hilarious video by Fog and Smog, “a creative collective of culture vultures from the SF Bay Area and Los Angeles.”
Props to the Fog and Smog team for finding ways to include Master Cleanse, quinoa, Humbolt Fog and pinot noir under $20 in a rap song about a grocery store.
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Fishing with Jesse Griffiths and Hank Shaw
Hank Shaw and Jesse Griffiths don’t exactly fish for a living, but as foragers and hunters who make a living off living off the land, fishing qualifies as work, which is why I didn’t feel too guilty asking if they wanted to go on a fishing trip early on weekday morning a few weeks ago when the California-based Shaw was in Austin for the International Association of Culinary Professionals’ annual conference.
As advocates for local, wild foods, Griffiths and Shaw knew of each other’s work but hadn’t met until we gathered at one of Griffiths’ favorite fishing spots outside Austin just after dawn.
(Griffiths also occasionally teaches creekside cooking classes where students fish for their own lunch. Sign up for the Dai Due newsletter to find out about all of Jesse’s classes because they usually sell out by the time they make it to the events page.)
The dozens of small fish we caught went into a bright-orange fish bisque that chef Jason Donoho of Fino made a few nights later for a special dinner featuring dishes from Shaw’s book. Another dinner of Jesse’s was featured as part of a story that ran in Wednesday’s paper about bycatch and alternative fish. (Click here to see more photos with both the fishing trip and the story.)
Provençal Fish Bisque
This recipe is one of many in Shaw’s “Hunt, Gather, Cook.” He writes:
This is a curious, blended fish soup I’ve been making, in various forms, for many years. I like blended soups, which can seem creamy even without cream, although this one does have a little cream added at the end. They’re just, well, more refined than a typical country soup. And sometimes I feel the need for a touch of elegance, even on a busy midweek night.
This soup only takes about 30 minutes to make. Yet, eaten with fresh bread and a glass of wine, you feel like you’re sitting at an oceanside bistro in Provence. The flavor comes mostly from the stock (shellfish stock or a combination of fish stock and clam juice), the orange zest, and saffron. You cannot substitute something else for the saffron; its color and aroma are integral to the soup. A pinch of cayenne adds the faintest zing that brings everything together.
Use any mild white fish but bluegills are ideal. Other good choices would be cod, haddock, any flatfish (flounder, fluke, halibut, sole, turbot, etc.), walleye, crappie or rock cod.
Once the soup is blended and you add the cream in, don’t let the soup boil; it could break. And if you have leftovers, just heat them gently in a pot until warm enough to eat.
3 slices bacon, roughly chopped (or substitute 3 Tbsp. olive oil or butter)
1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
1 large celery rib, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
Salt
1 lb. white fish fillets, roughly chopped
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. orange peel
Pinch of ground red pepper
Large pinch of saffron
1 quart shellfish stock, or 16 ounces clam juice plus 16 ounces fish stock or water
1/4 cup heavy cream
Dill or fennel fronds, for garnish
Cook the bacon on medium heat in a 6- to 8-quart pot until it is crispy. Remove the bacon from the pot with a slotted spoon. Set aside on a paper towel to use for garnish later.
Increase the heat to medium high and add the onion, celery, and carrot. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is translucent. Do not brown. Sprinkle some salt, to taste, over everything as it cooks.
Add the fish, tomatoes, and the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the orange peel, red pepper, and saffron, then pour in the shellfish stock or whatever stock you are using. In a pinch, you could even use chicken or vegetable
stock, but the flavor of the soup will be different. Simmer this gently—do not let it get to a rolling boil—for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Get another pot ready. Fill a blender a third of the way with the soup and blend it on high (starting on low then increasing to high) for 1 minute, or until it is well pureed.
Work in batches to puree the rest of the soup. Pour the pureed soup into the clean pot. Put the soup on medium-low heat and add the cream. Stir well and taste for salt, adding if needed. Do not let this boil, or it might break. Serve garnished with fennel or dill fronds, and alongside some crusty bread. A dry rose or light red wine would go well with this; I’d suggest a Beaujolais or a Pinot Noir. Serves 4 to 6.
Photos by Addie Broyles and Holly A. Heyser.
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