My Uncle Peter (whom I've affectionally nicknamed "Tio P") came to Portland for a visit. We drove up to Mount Hood and did an overnight at Timberline Lodge... Hiked up to the snowy spots and was amazed at all of the colorful plants up there. Indian Paintbrush, Pearly everlasting (and a bunch of other native plants that he knows the names of, but I don't...) Fantastic view of Mt Jefferson to the North. If you haven't been to Timberline.. go!
It's one of the most beautifully preserved lodges ever, built by the WPA in 1937. Great big stone hearth fireplaces, hand forged ironwork throughout and old growth wood beam construction with hand carved wood rails and original furniture. Pretty amazing.
We didn't discover the heated swimming pool until we were just about to leave. I did a quick dip, then we were off to Lost Lake...
the drive up...
View to the North from Mt Hood
So much pretty color on the hike up
Carving on the front door of Timberline
 Giant Hearthstone fireplaces and original 1940's furniture.  Indian Paintbrush near a stream |  Timberline Lodge  Whaa? Found out they had a heated outdoor pool with a view of Mt Hood at the last minute. I took advantage. |
the peaceful Lost Lake near Mt Hood. I was shocked that the water was actually warm! It was a bitch to find though, fyi.
Said "So Long" to Tio Pedro then headed to the coast to meet up with some long lost friends at the most excellent
Sou'Wester Lodge! It's tucked away on Long Beach Peninsula on the coast. We happened to be there the same weekend as the kite festival which takes place right on the beach every August. They have free bikes for anyone to use at the Sou'Wester, so we peddled around on the Discovery Trail along the beach while the kites flew by. We had a blast... went on hikes and bike rides, cooked a ton of delicious food in in our adorable 40's style cabin, stayed up late drinking whiskey & wine and played games til the wee hours. SO FUN! So long summer... See you next year!
I have to admit... I really do work less than I should in the summer. Living in the Northwest means a quick 3 months (if we're lucky) of REAL sun and a just enough heat to jump in the river and go swimming once in awhile... basically July, August and September. So here I am: enjoying summer, hanging out by the river, cabin cooking, readin' and chillin'... I put some good summer recipes below from my cabin visit. Trying to get back on the "Food Friday" tip and blog more in general. In the meantime...
GO ENJOY SUMMER!
Where the magic happens...
Some of my favorite things: Floating down the Santiam River and cooking at the cabin.
SUMMATIME RECIPES: aka "What I made at the cabin"
| WATERMELON SALAD:
Toss cubed watermelon with:
Finely chopped bunch of Cilantro or Basil
1 shallot or 1 garlic clove finely grated
Salt & Pepper
Juice from 1-2 limes
(Add and more or less to taste.)
Best refreshing summer salad ever.
CRAB-LEEK GNOCCHI:
(Soooo delicious and easy!)
1 package of potato gnocchi (fresh, frozen or vacuum packed)
1/2 lb fresh or fresh packed crab
block of parmesan cheese
2 lg or 3 med leeks
FRESH thyme
S + P
Pot of Boiling water for the gnocchi
Slice the leeks thin. you can go up to the green, just take off the harder outer parts. Wash well in a bowl of water after slicing to get out dirt.
Grate about an inch (or more) of the parm with a small grater into a bowl
Wash and pluck the thyme leaves until you have a nice sized handful
Saute the leeks in a large skillet with butter and/or olive oil on med-low heat until they are soft and golden. Stir often. (covering with a lid will expedite this process)
When the leeks are close to done, put the gnocchi in the boiling water. When they float to the top, scoop them out with a slotted spoon and add to the skillet with the leeks. Let sit in the skillet with the leeks until they get a bit golden.
Add the fresh thyme, salt + pepper, crab and parmesan. Mix together for a min or two and serve with a green salad or green vegetable (like brussel sprouts!)
| SOUTHWEST RICE:
(Serve hot or room temp or cold)
Cook 1 1/2 Cups of either brown or white rice according to the directions.
(You can do this with quinoa too, but just make sure it's not overcooked and MUSHY)
remove from heat. let it cool
Meanwhile:
Roast a red pepper and a green chile pepper right on the gas flame of your stovetop (or BBQ) until both are completely charred and black. (I you don't have a gas flame you can roast them in your oven on broil) Turn every so often. Put them in a paper bag and let cool for 5-10 min.
Peel off the charred bits in the sink next to running water to get the charred skin off of your hands. Don't stick the peppers directly in the water because it washes all the juice and flavor off.
DIce both the green chile and the red pepper, removing the seeds first.
Heat a skillet with olive oil or butter.
Saute:
Shallot or garlic clove chopped fine
4-5 Scallions chopped - white & green parts.
2 ears of cut corn or a generous cup or more of frozen corn
Roasted red pepper and green chile chopped
1 TSP of cumin seeds
1/2 TSP of cumin powder
pinch of cayenne (if the green chile isn't hot)
Generous amounts of Salt and Pepper
Saute until the corn is golden and the shallots are soft.
Toss this with the rice and some grated white cheddar (optional) and S+P to taste.
Serve warm or cold. (If cold, toss with some olive oil just before serving.
done! |
*click "READ MORE" for full recipe ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Spent a few nights on the Oregon Coast last week and had a blast hanging with friends and kids and dogs and the ocean.
I could post a million pictures of the Oregon coastline - which I happen to think is the prettiest of all the west's coastline - but photos never do it justice. I like that no matter where you are on the coast, you can always find a sailor or a sasquatch along the way... here are just a few from past trips to the coast and from last weeks adventure .
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