Food and Friends

We spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Cooking, cleaning, rinse and repeat. Gunnar is an excellent assistant!

A couple weeks ago G's friend was over while we finished up knishes for diner. Both kiddos had a great time with the dough. Of course my picky eater couldn't keep the dough out of his mouth. Sandwich, no. Dirt, yes. Ugh that kid!

The bakers:


Here is G and me making up some biscuits this last weekend. He is an excellent roller:

Say Cheese!

When Nick's brother came down a few weeks ago he brought a cheese making set up for Nick. Josh's friend had decided to get out of the cheese business and, lucky for Nick, was looking for some large wood. They made a trade and now Nick is giving it a go. Today he is making cheddar.


Check out all this whey. I tasted it and it is super sweet. Can't wait to make pancakes with it!

In the kitchen

With fall upon us and a garden going to seed I have been cooking and canning up a storm.
My girlfriend was kind enough to give us some tomatoes from her grandpa's garden so last weekend I canned those plus the excess beans from our garden.

Then I tackled some recipes from my new favorite blog Smitten Kitchen to help with the additional excess from our garden.

The roasted tomato soup with cheddar toasts has been my favorite dish so far.

The herbed summer squash and potato torte was also yummy.

And then there were the apple pancakes. Delicious and a huge hit with Gunnar. That boy loves his breakfast foods!

That recipe sparked my inner baker so this morning I made the Pioneer Woman's buttermilk biscuits. They didn't turn out as pretty as the picture in her cookbook but they were amazing. Light but durable.

We topped them with the blackberry jam Nick made and some strawberry preserves from the neighbor. Add on a side of sausage patty and it was a hit!

More Peas Please

I tried a new easy peasy recipe for split pea soup and it was delicious. I have always enjoyed split pea soup but figured it would be too much of a hassle. I mean what the heck is a ham hock anyways? I found the recipe for "Emeril's split pea soup" in my Martha's Everyday Food magazine and it was a snap. Beans, veggies, broth and hocks into crock pot and 6 no hassle hours later it is done.

Mr picky of the pickies even loved it. He ate two big bowls with about a 50% spoon to accuracy ratio which is really good. Washed it down with some peaches and it was a p-pleasant meal.



I searched online and could not find the recipe. If anyone wants it just message me and I can email it to you.

MEAT

Last weekend Nick and I got our very first (non family) babysitter (thanks Holly!) and went to Nicky USA's Wild about Game at The Resort at the Mountain in Welches. It was amazing! The weather was cool and wet but the meat and bourbon kept us warm.

Nicky USA is the northwest's premier distributor and procesor of game birds and grass fed meats and this event is a showcase of sorts to bring together game chefs, ranchers, wineries, breweries, cheese makers, chocolatiers etc in one huge day of yummy excess. The event was from 11 - 4 and we ate and drank to the fullest. My eating abilities are often mocked for being insanely over the top and I can honestly say I could NOT eat any more once this was over.

A few shout outs: We had the most delicious cured meats from Olympic Provisions, melt in your mouth cheeses from Cheese Bar, savory (humane) foie gras from Hudson Valley Foie Gras, the oddest (and yummiest) meat-chocolate combinations from Xocolatl De David, out of this world ice cream from Salt and Straw, amazing wine from Teutonic Wine Co, delicious brews from Double Mountain Brewery and then last but absolutely not least the delicious black footed Iberico ham from Fermin Iberico de Bellota.

As if the tasting was not enough there were also cooking demonstrations throughout the day. Our faves from those were the Elk tartes from Chef Tony Meyers of Serrato and then the Thai drinking dish made with Wild Boar from Brendan Newell and JB Tranhlm of Pok Pok. Maybe it was the Makers Mark but Brendan and JB were hilarious and their dish spectacular.

The event was sold out and it was really neat to see so many people gathered together to really enjoy quality food. The Chefs put a lot of time and thought into their ingredients and it showed. I am sure Nick and I will attending all these events to come. Join us next year!

Making sausage - Literally

Nick has been having a great time making sausage with our neighbor. They made country sausage and beer brats first followed by a batch of Italian sausage this week. DELICIOUS! Here are some shots of the work in progress. To see the finished product you will have to stop by!

Eggs And Other Related Items

Here is the latest pic of the broilers:

We have been lovingly referring to them as the pterodactyls as they are true freaks of nature! Now they they have most of their adult feathers they are not quite as hideous. About two more weeks to go and they will be headed to the big chicken coop in the sky. I must say they have a pretty sweet (though short) life. You can see the mobile coop Nick built so we can keep them on fresh grass plus with this nice weather they are getting to spend most of the day outside.

We had some friends over yesterday and I got to break in my new deviled egg holder. After balancing deviled eggs on plates in the car for Christmas I was super excited to find this at GoodWill:

It is a pewter deviled egg holder that I scored for just $2. LOVE THAT! The eggs and platter were both a big hit.

Sui-Mai

Yesterday was a beautiful spring day here in Oregon. Nick and I spent it cleaning out the chicken stall, finishing the greenhouse (don't even ask what a pain that was!) and working the soil in the raised beds.

Today it rained. For a little indoor fun we decided to make some Sui-Mai. I am a huge dumpling fan, no matter what the variety. I am also a terrible baker which is why I do have never made dumplings before. It is too much like working with Phylo dough which has always left me disappointed in the past.

This time would be different! I found a great recipe in Cooking Light magazine for steamed vegetable sui-mai dumplings with chili-sesame oil.

We made a couple of substitutions - boy choy instead of cabbage and added in some shrimp. They were delicious! Here is an action shot of Nick serving up the yummy goodness:


And a close up:

BrewFest!

Last night Nick and I went to a culinary showcase of sorts at our favorite local Mexican restaurant, El Loco Burro. If you have ever visited us I am SURE we took you there and the food is so amazing you never forget. Last night was a special showcase put on by the owner/chef to showcase his culinary talents outside of the Mexican realm.

The dinner was served family style which was very fun! We were at a six top with two other couples who were very interesting. We had a world traveling masseuse in our midst as well as a math teacher and pharmacist. The best part was were were all animal enthusiasts and that common thread led to many entertaining tales.

The meal consisted of five courses and each was paired with a beer to compliment its particular flavoring.

The first dish was Marzen-steamed mussels with leeks & crositini. Steamed mussels are one of my favorite dishes so this was a huge hit. It really reminded my of the West Village Bier Garden we used to visit after work and all those goods friends I miss so much. The beer was a delicious Bavarian brew - Brauerei Aying.

Next was Risotto with a local blend of wild mushrooms, finished with parmesan regianno and crispy shallots . The risotto had just the right texture and was topped with chanterelles the chef and friends had picked this weekend. The shallot were perfectly crisped and reminded me of those yummy fried onions that top green bean casserole at Christmas. The beer was Hales Cream HSB from Hale's Ales in Seattle WA.

Hailbut with herb butter roasted halibut over provencal vegetables was next. The fish was good but I have to say that my own version of herbed butter is more to my liking. The beer was Killer Green Fresh-Hopped IPA from Double Mountain Brewery in Hood River OR.

After that was the Gnocchi with duck confit, pomdoraccio, herbs and goat cheese. I thought this dish was pretty good. Nick's dish came with too much duck and not enough cheese - he was not a fan. The beer was Highway to Ale Barleywine from Beer Valley Brewing Ontario OR. My favorite part of this dish was watching everyone's reaction to the "unique" aftertaste of the barleywine.

Dessert was caramelized pear creme brulee. Now it was my turn to get the "just okay dish". Nick's was piping hot and delicious, mine was lukewarm and not so great. The beer was Cuvee du Jongleur from Cascade Brewing in Beaverton OR. Just pronouncing the name of this last brew provided some great entertainment!

All in all the showcase was quite a success. It was very fun to be able to something a little out of the ordinary and yet close to home. And the company was great!

Fall Feast

Good thing I took that hike Sunday! Today it was 48 degrees for the high in Brightwood with snow predicted at 3,000 feet. To celebrate Fall's prompt arrival I got into comfort food mode with my world famous meatloaf, mashed baked potatoes and a blue cheese topped salad.



Nick was doing a kiln fire today so to keep warm at home he fired up the wood stove for the first time this season.



Our house is very seasonal - we spend all summer in the cool basement and then all winter in the toasty living room. Truck approves for sure!

Fruit Of My Labor

My project the past two days has been canning tomatoes..and more tomatoes..and more tomatoes. I can honestly say I am sick of boiling water (if you have ever spent any time with me in a hot tub you know this is QUITE a feat) and tomatoes (usually one of my favorite foods).

Here is the mound o'maters I started with:



In case you need a perspective reference, here is me and Scraps with the pile:



All the animals have been eying me (and the tomatoes) in the kitchen pretty closely.
Luke guarding the boxes:



Truck guarding the tomatoes:



In the end I canned over 20 pints and quarts worth of pasta sauce, salsa and diced tomoatoes.



In addition to canning we have been eating tomatoes as a side with each meal, I passed some out at work and here is me making tomatoes provencal. Yummy!

Fruits of Summer

The cobbler was a huge success!

Here is a shot of the ton of blackberries we picked yesterday. Some of these went into the cobbler, the rest are being made into jam today. Our neighbor Ray is an expert jam maker and has invited us over to take part in making blueberry and blackberry jams. His secret ingredient is bourbon so Nick is super excited.



In case you need an EASY cobbler recipe, mine (courtesy of my mom and Southern Living) is pretty good:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place 4C. blackberries in pan and sprinkle with 1T. lemon juice. Combine 1 egg, 1 C. sugar and 1 C. all purpose flour in bowl and mix until resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle over fruit. Drizzle 6 T. melted butter over topping. Bake 375 for 35 mins. or until lightly browned and bubbly. Let set for 10 mins. Then my extra secret - serve topped with vanilla ice cream.

We have been putting our Seal-A-Meal to the test lately! Here is a snapshot of our downstairs freezer where we are squirreling away our beans, berries and fish to get us through the winter.



The fish are courtesy of the London Boys and their recent ocean fishing trip off the Washington coast.

The view from the boat EARLY that morning:


The Fishermen:


Salmon fresh from the water:


Rockfish (Sea Bass) just on the boat:


They are predicting a drop in temps end of this week and winter will be here before we know it!