Ephemeral snow showers just before the nation springs forward into Daylight Saving Time? Around Portland, April is possibly the cruelest month.
During these dreary, so-called spring months, the days will grudgingly lengthen, brighten and warm a bit. Landscapes will flourish and green up, brushed with brilliant color. But even in parkas and knit hats, we seek relief from brusque winds and drippy rains.
Local food carts are waiting with steaming bowls, hot sandwiches or wraps and grilled or deep-fried sustenance. How does green chicken posole or a Cuban ropa vieja sound? Pick up these consoling dishes at the window or prepare the chefs’ recipes at home (see below).
During our brutal Oregon winter, many carts closed only when frozen out or customers simply could not reach them. Portland Mercado’s Latin American carts at Southeast Foster Road and 72nd Avenue were able to direct customers into the communal dining hall. But for a week in January “you couldn’t even walk around,” said José Perez of the Cuban cart Qué Bolá?, “and the gray-water tanks underneath the carts froze.”
While the Cubano sandwich and ropa viejo remain popular, Perez has added a gluten-free beginner’s sampler of roasted pork, yuca, steak, plantain, grilled chicken, chorizo, rice and beans to the menu. The Havana native also does event catering as part of his participation in the Mercado’s incubator-model economic-development program.
Meanwhile, inside the Mercado’s Micro Mercantes commissary kitchen for entrepreneurs, Ramona White has ramped up prep of breakfast burritos, bowls and chilaquiles for her expanding business, Nourishment. From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday, her bright-orange 1957 International Harvester Metro van is parked in a lot at Northeast Halsey Street and 60th Avenue. Customers can duck into an adjacent covered eating area attached to Guffy’s School of Canine Manners.
White will continue her Saturday gig at the Hollywood Farmers Market but said that “in the new Portland development wave, I will be hanging 10 and riding on over to 22nd and Sandy” starting May 1, maintaining the same weekday schedule.
Her future serving window at 2240A NE Sandy Boulevard is part of ReRack, a retail shop for car racks that opens onto a parking lot just west of Providore Fine Foods market hall. Little restaurants wrap around 24th Avenue and Glisan Street, forming a happening triangular culinary node just a few blocks down from head-turning micro-restaurant complex The Zipper.
White, a culinary-school grad, is also helping to launch Bread and Salt Academy, a nonprofit program to prepare youths for careers in the hospitality industry. She developed the culinary curriculum and will be its instructor.
Preparation time: 4-1/2 hours, including 15 minutes of prep | Difficulty: Medium
6 servings
Ingredients
To prepare
Preparation time: 1-1/2 hours, including 45 minutes of prep | Difficulty: Easy
6 to 8 servings
If you don’t feel like roasting tomatillos, toasting and grinding spices or chopping fresh herbs, try Ramona White's shortcuts. If you are sensitive to gluten, check all labels carefully.
Ingredients
To prepare
Offer the cilantro leaves, sliced radishes, shredded cabbage, sliced limes, cubed avocado and corn chips on the side so people can garnish the stew as they like.
Vegan variation
Substitute vegetable stock or broth for the chicken stock and 1 (15-ounce) can of white kidney beans or great northern beans, drained, for the chicken.
Storing leftovers
Cool stew on counter to room temperature. Transfer to open containers shallow enough to allow uniform rapid cooling, leaving 1/2 to 1 inch at the top. Refrigerate for approximately 2 hours or until stew reaches 41 degrees or lower. Cover with tight-fitting lids and freeze for up to a few months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight or in the microwave.
John Rosman
/Fragrant, spicy Green Chicken Posole with tomatillos is Mexican-inspired but hominy and caramelized onions suggest a hint of the American South. Ramona White's thoughtful recipe includes quick-and-easy options and a vegan variation.
Jo Mancuso
/A customer picks up his order at Nourishment's 1957 International Harvester Metro van parked in a lot at NE Halsey Street and 60th Avenue. Customers can duck into an adjacent covered eating area.
John Rosman
/Hearty, deeply flavored Ropa Vieja is served with white rice and fried plantains. To prepare this dish at home, you can cook the flank steak on the stovetop or in a pressure cooker or slow cooker.
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