"A trip to the orchards, we visit Area Orchard 51, Stuffed Tomatoes are easy, rewarding, simple and delicious and more at chefshop.com/enews EXCLUSIVE SUBSCRIBER 5% OFF CODE cherry  Recipes | Chef's Pantries | Shop for Food & Ingredients | Food Blog A story about Cherries. A trip to the orchards. We call the place we get our cherries from Area 51 because they are so out of this world...almost a decade ago we went to one of the many orchards that the Stennes Family Farm harvests and we got to walk amongst the trees. We wrote this, one of our first “Stories”, to express our emotional attachment to food. We were blindfolded as we were driven down the road towards the orchard known as "Area 51." We made a hard turn to the right and clearly, we were now traveling over rough, dirt roads - as we lurched and lunged about in the bed of the pickup truck. Then, as quickly as the road had turned rough, the ride smoothed out again, and we could smell the trees and feel the air turn moist, as the sounds of the truck were muffled out and a quiet settled in. The truck pulled to a stop and Mark removed our blindfolds. Our eyes took in what we had already smelled. Long rows of cherry trees, in tight rows, on an undulating terrain that rose in elevation ending at a rock wall that stood high above us. As we walked into the grove, Mark (5th generation cherry farmer) and his father, Keith, told us a little about this very special place. One family has owned this orchard for as long as the trees had been standing, and it is known for producing especially large fruit. The first thing I noticed were the girth of the trunks, massive in size compared to all the cherry trees I have seen up to this point. The low canopy of branches were covered with Rainier cherries looking exceptionally big and juicy. Mark showed me the sizing of the cherries - already an 8 on this day. He expected them to grow at least another half a size more before they were to be picked - some time in the next 5 to 10 days. The cherries already sized "off-the-charts," and even more impressive in a year when many cherries may come in as 11's and 10's! (When it comes to fresh cherries, the smaller the number the bigger the fruit.) Historically, almost all of the fruit from this orchard goes to the highest bidder, usually to Asia. They have agreed to let us sell a little of this amazing grove of Cherries for you all! **By the way, though the words are fictitious...the ambiance of how cool this experience was is accurate. This was one special orchard and we felt very lucky to get the opportunity to walk amongst the trees. Kevin, Mark's twin, has been hand choosing us the very best fruit he can find and in the last few years the cherries have been the best they have ever been! See the selection of Sweet Washington Cherries! - click here! Early Robins The first cherry! Early Robin Cherries are a early ripening Rainier-like Cherries. They are very low acid, so they taste very sweet. With their characteristic cream-colored flesh, Early Robin Cherries are a new variety, and farmers will not pick them until the sugar brix (a measure of how sweet the cherry is) reaches 17. But, some wait until they reach 20 brix. That is one of the reasons they are so amazingly delicious -- and addictive. Perhaps the favorite of all the cherries we have...unless you prefer the Rainier's or the Lapin's. First of the cherries - Early Robins - click here! Fresh Rainier Cherries The Rainier Cherry is one of the sweetest of all the sweet cherries - although it has a little more of a tart bite than the Early Robins - which have almost no acid. With its characteristic cream-colored flesh, Rainier Cherry farmers will not pick them until the sugar brix (a measure of how sweet the cherry is) reaches 17. But, some wait until they reach 20 brix. That is one of the reasons they are so memorable -- and addictive. The Rainier is a cross between a Bing and a Van -- two sweet-red varieties. Created by Harold Fogle in 1952, who, at the time, directed the cherry breeding program at the Washington State University. And, boy, are we happy that Harold did what he did. Shop now for Fresh Rainier Cherries. Emmer Stuffed Heirloom Tomatoes Tomato season is one of our favorite times of the year and one of our favorite dishes is baked tomatoes stuffed with wonderful, simple ingredients from our pantry. The classic stuffed tomato recipe calls for Arborio rice, garlic, basil and olive oil - so simple and delicious. This year we wanted to change it up a bit and use some of our favorite ingredients - giving new twists to an old classic. The new combos make for some great additions to a fresh, summer meal. We like to shortcut the classic cooking process by pre-cooking the grains before stuffing and baking the tomatoes. This means less time in a hot kitchen and a shorter baking time - so the tomatoes keep their shape. Instead of using the classic Arborio rice, we used one of our favorite grains, emmer. Emmer has more bite than rice, so the end result was a nicely toothsome side dish with a bit more flavor. Perfect. Click here for the Emmer Stuffed Heirloom Stuffed Tomatoes Recipe Preserved Lemon and Emmer Stuffed Tomatoes Recipe This zesty dish is a treat. The emmer provides the bounce and the lemon olive oil and preserved lemons combine into a summery dish that is a perfect addition to a hot summer evening. See the Recipe for Preserved Lemon Emmer Stuffed Heirloom Tomatoes Tuna & Caper & Rice Stuffed Tomatoes Recipe A variation on Marcella's classic recipe - Salmon and Caper Stuffed Tomatoes. We used European canned tuna instead of salmon and we added Arborio rice. The tuna gave a hearty feel, while the capers added salt and texture. Serve as a main dish for the perfect light summer meal. Click to see the Recipe here! Sacred Sea Albacore Tuna Sacred Sea wild Albacore tuna is from coastal Oregon and is hook-and-line caught by surface troll method, the "cleanest," most sustainable fishing method. Catching one fish at a time instead of using nets or long lines that are used in conventional fishing operations enables them to treat each fish humanely and individually for the maximum quality and nutrition. Each wild Albacore tuna fish is humanely dispatched the moment it is put aboard the boat. This eliminates the bruising and meat damage seen in conventionally handled albacore. The fish are immediately "vertically" bled which results in 30% more bleed-out. As soon as the fish are bled they are flash frozen by brine immersion, which is the fastest most efficient method of freezing. In the conventional canning process, the fish are cooked whole in a pressure cooker. The majority of the oils, the source of the most desirable nutrition, are cooked out and left on the cooker floor. What is left is taken off of the bone and packed into a can, where it is fully cooked for a second time. Sacred Sea, on the other hand, fillets the fish raw and hand-packed them into cans where they are then cooked - cooked once in their own nutritious liquid. Through their process, the nutritional value (and fresh taste) of the fish is still in the can...not on the floor! According to studies by Oregon State University, West Coast wild Albacore tuna, on average, contain at least 60% less mercury than typical canned tuna. From June to October of each year we harvest these younger fish, which range in size between 10 and 30 pounds. Because they are young mercury accumulation is not of concern. Shop Now for Sacred Sea Albacore Tuna! * Moroccan Harissa This is a great time to stock up for the ever fun time of BBQ and Grilling season as the weather shifts from warmer to hot. From a spoon-on condiment to a key ingredient in a marinade, this Harissa is a standard for making summer tasty! This vibrant Harissa is also just right to make a nice swirl or swish on the plate as well. Shop now for the heart of the summer with Harissa! * Best high heat oil around "I can't swear to the health benefits included in the product's description, but it is definitely the best oil for use in high heat cooking I've ever seen. I've used peanut oil, avocado oil, almond oil, etc. and nothing has a higher smoke point than this rice bran oil. It's neutral in flavor and has a very long shelf life. I love it." by Gregory Shop Now for Best high heat oil around! The change in weather is feeling good! Fresh Sweet Bing Washington Cherries Best Bing Cherries!! "Every cherry was perfect, fat, sweet and crispy. Year after year they arrive at the peak of perfection." - Sally Shop here for the Best Bing Cherries! NEW CLASS: Exploring Peruvian Cuisine Cooking Class Peruvian cuisine reflects local as well as "imported" practices and ingredients—including influences from the indigenous population, traditional ingredients, and cuisines brought in with immigrants from Europe, Asia and West Africa. Without the familiar ingredients from their home countries, immigrants modified their traditional cuisines by using ingredients available in Peru. Peruvian cuisine has been described as one of the world's most important cuisines and as a living example of “fusion”, due to its long multicultural history. ChefShop Cooking Classes Store Hours - come visit and have some nuts! Monday thru Saturday 10AM to 5PM. ChefShop.com 1425 Elliott Ave W Seattle, Wa 98119 206-286-9988 Our parking lot is to the north of the shop and to south of Champions Party Supply. Easy open parking lot. Click above to see the map. This Week's Recipes Black Barley Salad with Feta and Lemon Vinaigrette Our friend and recipe developer extraordinaire, Jean Galton, stopped by the other day and went home with some of our Black Nile Barley. She sent us this recipe and said the barley cooked up perfectly. Apple, Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onion Pizza Topping Recipe This recipe was in the "all seasons" section of Kim O'Donnel's new cookbook, The Meat Lover's Meatless Cookbook, Vegetarian Recipes Carnivores Will Devour". As Kim says, this is a rich topping to a pizza. The amount will top a 12 inch pizza easily. The flavor is a perfect combination of sweetness and richness. Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Recipe One of my father's favorite desserts. And, when looking for any recipe that one would consider "comfort food", we always turn to Marian Burros' book, "Cooking for Comfort" first. Adapted from Cooking for Comfort by Marian Burros (Simon & Schuster, 2003). See what you missed in previous Newsletters Yuzu Mayo Spoon-Ready Quince Vin, Gianduia, Winner, Mint Chocolate The Perfect Flavor, Wild Italian Fennel Pollen ChefShop.com Toll-free: 1-800-596-0885 You've received this email because you have purchased from us or subscribed. We respect your privacy online, and will never share your email address. Help | Contact | About | Terms | Privacy Policy | Search | My Account DESIGN: JODI LUBY & COMPANY, INC. NEW YORK CITY, NY; EMAIL STRATEGY: CRM Group USA, SEATTLE, WA