Celebrate “open-air living” safely: you don’t have to be from Norway to practice frilufsliv

#BeavertonFarmersMarket

Oregonians continue to band together to do their part to spread the Delta variant of COVID-19. While many in our community enjoy some freedoms now that they and other family members are vaccinated, many are still needing to be extra cautious, especially families with young children back in school and daycare.

So, the question is, given that Quarantine Fatigue is real, how are we going to cope with the continued restrictions in order to stay safe, but still having normalcy? It was easy to move activities outdoors during the summer, but what do we do for fun during our cold, wet winter months? As the temperature drops, more people will gather indoors where there is less opportunity for viral particles to disperse — increasing the risk of coronavirus spread. Poorly ventilated buildings will add to the risk.

Oregonians are hearty souls, but being outside during the winter seems like an unlikely option for many people. If you are one of them, we recommend looking to the Norwegians for advice regarding Friluftsliv. Pronounced free-luts-liv, it means “open-air living”. Stanford University health psychologist, Kari Leibowitz, explains that friluftsliv is all about having a positive wintertime mindset. It is a commitment to celebrating time outdoors, no matter the weather forecast. According to National Geographic writer, Jen Rose Smith, it might be the model for coming more safely, and sanely, through the approaching winter pandemic season.

Of course, shopping at a farmers market fits perfectly into the friluftsliv mindset. As far as other activities are concerned, think about how you might take them outdoors. For me, the Market Master, my neighbors put on a live outdoor jazz concert once a month. Marketing Manager, Kate Laubernds’, neighbors set up a projector and screen and hosted a family movie night in their cul-de-sac, which they will be repeating on Halloween in lieu of trick or treating.

When the weather is dry it’s a great time to have a socially distant happy hour. Turn on gas heaters, or stoke a fire, put out freshly laundered blankets, space out seating, and serve hot drinks like cider, toddies, and hot chocolate. Both Kiyokawa and Greens Bridge Gardens have fresh pressed cider, and of course, MomoCoco has you covered for all your cocoa needs! Kate attended one of these happy hours hosted by a previous market vendor, Faith Dionne of Jaz Spirits. Make sure to serve food and drinks individually so guests only touch their serving. And of course, keep the guest list small.

Remember, whatever you choose to do, practice social distancing and wear a mask!

~ Ginger, Market Master

BFM Recipe of the month: Miso-Curry Delicata Squash With Tofu & Kale

For a cozy weeknight meal our go-to recipe for Delicata squash is Miso-Curry Roasted Delicata Squash With Tofu and Kale from Heidi Swanson’s (101 Cookbooks) Super Natural Everyday cookbook. Swanson notoriously has a way around produce and this recipe explodes with flavor from sweet, savory, and umami. This recipe is a stunner with the Honey Boat Delicata Squash. Honey Boat Delicata is a Delicata variety developed at Oregon State University with a much sweeter flavor and thinner skin than traditional Delicata.

INGREDIENTS

12 ounces delicata squash
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup white miso
1 T red Thai curry paste
8 ounces extra firm tofu, cut into small cubes (which is half of a 1lb package)*
6 medium new potatoes, unpeeled, quartered
2 T lemon juice
1½ cups chopped lacinato kale, tough stems removed
⅔ cup chopped fresh cilantro⅓ cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin) seeds

PREPARATION

Preheat your oven to 400F with a rack in the middle of the oven.
Cut the delicata squash in half lengthwise, and use a spoon to scoop out all of the seeds (discard the seeds). Cut the squash into ½- inch thick half-moons.
In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, white miso, and curry paste. In a large bowl, gently combine tofu, potatoes, and squash with about half of the miso-curry-olive oil dressing. Use your hands to toss well, taking care not to break apart the tofu too much and to make sure every piece is covered with a bit of dressing, and then turn the vegetables onto a rimmed baking sheet and arrange in a single layer.
Roast the vegetables for 25-35 minutes, turning vegetables halfway through. Keep a careful eye on the vegetables toward the end, as they can go from golden to burnt pretty quickly.
In the meantime, place the kale in the large bowl where you mixed the squash, potatoes, and tofu (no need to rinse it out). Whisk the lemon juice into the remaining miso-curry-olive oil paste, pour over the kale, and mix well until coated. This works best using your hands to massage the mixture into the kale.
When the vegetables are caramelized, remove them from the oven. Toss the roasted vegetables gently with the kale, cilantro, and roasted pepitas. Serve family style in a large bowl or on a platter.

What’s in Season: October