Ingredients

Have you heard about Ingredients, the new Oregon-centric food documentary? Last weekend I saw it at its Portland premier--ok, I am in the movie, but I don't say anything--and walked out of the theater with a warm, fuzzy feeling. This makes sense. What I'm hearing from people who have seen Ingredients is that it's so positive compared to Food, Inc., and the like, and it doesn't get you down. The cinematography is gorgeous and bright, and the vibe is hopeful.

Eventually Ingredients will air on public television. Right now it's making the film festival circuit, so expect to hear more about it.

My husband is normally a dyed-in-the-wool cynic. But he bought a DVD of Ingredients to lend to friends and family, especially our friend who complains about the prices at the King Farmers Market. It's a fair question that our friend raises, "Why does local food cost more? Shouldn't it actually cost less?" Hopefully, after watching Ingredients he'll have a sense of just what you get for your farmers market dollars. Going to the farmers market isn't just shopping for dinner, it's a way to vote for flavor and health. As Carol Boutard of Ayers Creek Farm says in Ingredients (I'll paraphrase): it's not gluttony to expect your food to taste good.

Depending on your perch in life, you identify certain things that unite people. I'm at the King Farmers Market in September--cooking, teaching and talking with shoppers every Sunday. From my vantage point—a sweet little booth with a stove and a floral pink table cloth—it looks like the following thoughts are skittering across the minds of Portlanders everywhere:

1. What's the deal with eggplant? The eggplant I had at (choose venue) my grandmother's house/that Middle Eastern restaurant that closed/the food cart downtown was divine. Why isn't mine as good? Do you really have to salt it before cooking?
2. Where's the next idea for what to do with all that zucchini? Idea, please hurry.
   
3. My sister/boyfriend/roomate/boss (or substitute appropriate relationship) hates them, but I love beets. Any beet recipe you put in front of me, I will happily try.

I like these thoughts because I have them, too. Often. So much so that I have arrived at answers! Please come visit me and my fun, friendly guest chefs at King Farmers Market on the 20th and the 27th and we'll talk about the practical how-to's and inspirations of farmers market shopping and cooking.

And if you can't make it, check out marketchefs.com, where you can find recipes for corn zucchini fritters and beets and their greens with Greek yogurt sauce. And more. Stay tuned.