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With the newspaper industry shrinking, my weekly food column, "Fresh Approach," has become one of the casualties. But the folks who have been reading my column since the mid-1980's (!) have indicated that they would be open to the idea of me continuing to provide my take on all things food - from philosophy to product analysis to recipes.

 

So, bear with me.  At some point those thoughts on food, beverage, preserving, art, and much more will become an integral part of my website. What fun!

 

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   It was three days after Christmas and the first day of decent weather in a week. The good news to that scenario was that the crab boats which had been tied up at the docks during the storm were finally leaving Newport Bay in search of our favorite Winter crustacian. They’d return to harbor in 18 hours. But, of course, our crab feast was in 8 hours. So, we re-named it a No-Crab Feast and went to Plan B. Appetizers and a big salad.

   This year, Oregon's commercial Dungeness crab season has gotten off to a slightly better start. As of Saturday, December 16th, the season has opened from Cape Foulweather (just south of Depot Bay) to the California border. North of Cape Foulweather to the Washington state border, the commercial season remains closed due to too low meat yield. The next round of evaluations will occur on December 31st.

   For Californians hoping to celebrate the Christmas holiday season with fresh, preferably live and local crab, folks are going to have to track down vendors who have access to crabs sourced from further up in the Pacific Northwest.

   THE NUMBER ONE BEST WAY TO BUY CRAB: Dungeness crab is never better than when it has just come from the sea. A live crab fresh from its habitat is in the ideal state for cooking. Short of those circumstances, all crab buying, cooking and eating involve some compromise. Which leads to...

   THE SECOND-BEST WAY TO BUY CRAB: Buying crabs kept alive in water tanks is a close second.  Since this is an extremely popular time of year for crab feeds, it’s always a good idea to phone ahead and place your order or to at least check and see how their supply is holding up. If you fancy a trip to the coast, then drop by your favorite bay front where the crabbing ships are dropping off their loads.

   THE THIRD BEST WAY TO BUY CRAB: Cooked crab is your final option, but it’s a frustrating one because you can get burned from a quality point of view if the crabs aren’t fresh. I steer clear of places that can’t tell you where - or even when! - their cooked crabs were cooked. When buying cooked crab, don’t be shy. Smell it! There should not be a pronounced fishy odor.

     HOW MANY PEOPLE PER CRAB? The general rule around our house is two people per crab, unless the crab is smaller than 1-1/2 pounds, at which point, you should play it safe and have one crab per person. Plus, for groups larger than four, I always throw in one extra crab "for the pot." 

 

      RECIPES ARE COMING. BUT PLEASE ALLOW ME THIS BRIEF PSA TO HELP BOOST YOUR HOLIDAY SPIRIT!!!

   It was the day before Christmas - many Christmases ago. Typically hectic. Predictably filled with too many last-minute tasks to perform on a too-short visit with the family in California. But an afternoon in San Francisco to take in the holiday ambiance was something none of us wanted to forgo.   At the top of our itinerary was a swing through FAO Schwartz, in its time, the greatest toy store this side of the North Pole.  Our group of 12 quickly dispersed among the multiple levels; all of us to seek out our ideal worlds of play and fantasy.  I landed amongst the stuffed animals, and that's where I saw him. He was very large, as stuffed beasts go - 4 feet high in a sitting position - with a head the size of two Hermiston watermelons placed side by side. Because some canny clerk had placed him on a table, we were eyeball to eyeball, which made him impossible to ignore. His eyes, though molded from glass, danced with expression in reflecting light. His great, wide, gorilla snout begged to be pinched. His plumpish torso was designed for snuggling.   This animal was so unbelievably cute, I just had to know what he would feel like in a hug. So I wrapped his long ape arms around my neck and buried my face into the brown fuzzy hair on his chest. A definite something that's hard to explain passed between us. One of those "E.T." and Elliot sort of moments. 

   As my husband, Steve, rounded the corner, he came upon his wife in full armlock with a stuffed baby gorilla. We must have presented an odd sight. This, he perceived quickly, was no mere infatuation. This was full-blown, "Look who's followed me home, can I keep him?" love.

   One thing about Steve is that he's a realist. After sizing up the situation he grinned at the crazy woman and her lovable beast and uttered two words: "Merry Christmas." 

    "Are you serious?" I whispered. 

    "Certainly," he replied.

   When we connected with the rest of the family, this new addition created a grand commotion. My brother feigned disbelief that I was getting a stuffed toy for Christmas (but his smile told me he was charmed at the thought). My folks seemed particularly pleased that Steve had acted on whim. My sons thought it was insane, but "totally cool," and my various nephews and niece were completely captivated by the concept of, a) an early Christmas present, and b) a very big, very wonderful stuffed family member. After several excited minutes of chatter and passing the animal from hug to hug we settled on a name: Bud. We all agreed it just sort of fit him.

   Once back on track itinerary-wise, the kids took turns carrying Bud - no simple feat since he was so large, and (back then) they were so small. As we tromped along the streets of downtown San Francisco, the attention Bud and his brood of giggling, delighted young people created was remarkable. Strangers with eyes riveted to some imaginary shopping list on the horizon suddenly came alive. Instead of hustling past us, they were slowing down, sometimes even stopping, to look at this great baby ape and the wave of joy that swept along in his wake. It was as if these folks who were so wrapped up in the holiday process suddenly remembered its meaning.  And then they would grin, or at least smile.

   That evening, in the spirit of spontaneity begun with the adoption of Bud, we deviated from the Planned Party Dinner, which was to have been a complex sort of affair. Having had our heads turned by LIVE CRAB signs along Fishermen's Wharf, we opted for a feast of fresh Dungeness crab, a huge tossed green salad with homemade Thousand Island dressing, a simple vegetable, and fresh, crunchy San Francisco sourdough bread. It was one of the most relaxing, carefree, and fun Christmas Eves I've ever spent.

   Bud’s a young adult now. But I’ve tried to hold on to the lesson learned all those years ago about how to approach and enjoy this special time of year. It is simply this:  Christmas, above all else, is a time to embrace life, rather than to manage it.  May you find your own path to such fulfillment, this and every year.

 

   GET TO THE RECIPES, PLEASE!

   So, every year about this time, I like to provide you with a few simple-but-wonderful recipes to help you sail through the holidays with your spirits high and psyche intact. The reality in my life is that it’s hectic. So, I’m picking and choosing my celebrations. That means making a list of those I really want to touch down with, and making it happen - usually in a very simple and casual setting. Which doesn’t mean the food has to be boring. Here are a few offerings, each with its own explanation as to why it should be a part of this story. Enjoy, and Happy Holidays!

     Classic Louis Dressing

   If you're going to have a crab feed this season, then you've got to have Louis Dressing. Set it out alongside a big ol' tossed green salad so folks can mingle it with their crab, along with melted butter and fresh lemon juice, of course. 

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup chili sauce (it's like ketchup, only spicier)

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons finely chopped green or red sweet bell pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped yellow onion

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons chopped dill pickle

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish (more to taste)

1 hard-cooked egg, finely chopped 

   In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, chili sauce, and lemon juice. Add the peppers, onion, parsley, pickle, cayenne, Worcestershire, horseradish, and chopped egg. Blend this mixture thoroughly and then taste to determine if it needs additional chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or horseradish. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week. If the dressing seems a bit thick, you can stir in additional lemon juice, or even a splash of cream. Makes about 1-1/2 cups. 

   Tomato-Pesto Mayonnaise for Crab 

   This is a wonderful alternative to the classic red seafood cocktail sauce. But actually, I like to serve it alongside the red sauce so folks can sort of mingle the two together if desired.

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons minced yellow onion

1-1/4 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomato (use Roma style tomatoes, if possible)

2 cups mayonnaise

1 teaspoon commercially prepared or homemade pesto (more to taste)

1 tablespoon brandy (optional)

   Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a small skillet. Add the onion and gently sauté until the onion turns a light golden brown and is lightly caramelized. This will take about 10 minutes. Don’t scorch the onions by cooking over too high of a heat. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper, and adjust the temperature up to about medium-high and continue simmering until the tomato mixture has softened, and all of the liquid released by the tomatoes has cooked away, creating a thick mixture, which will take 15 to 20 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a mixing bowl and set aside until cool.   Mix in the mayonnaise, pesto, and brandy, and adjust seasonings, adding additional pesto, salt and pepper as needed. Chill until ready to serve. May be made and refrigerated up to a week ahead.

   Buttery Cocktail Sauce

   This is simple and delicions.

1 cup seafood cocktail sauce

3 tablespoons butter 

   In a microwavable bowl, combine the cocktail sauce with the butter. Loosely cover with plastic wrap to prevent splatters and microwave on high just until the butter is mostly melted. Whisk it into the hot cocktail sauce and serve.

   Cioppino

   There are as many renditions of this classic San Francisco fish stew specialty as there are folks who’ve left their hearts there. Good friends Pam and Dan Bottom shared this version a several years ago and I was blown away by its simplicity and flavor. What makes it especially great during the holidays is the fact that the tomato base can be prepared days ahead. Then, just before you’re ready to serve, you can heat it up and begin adding the fish and shellfish in the appropriate order so that everything turns out tender and cooked to perfection.

   Just make sure the ingredients are fresh! fresh! fresh! So know your fish guy.

3/4 pound red snapper

3/4 pound halibut

1/2 pound scallops

2 tablespoons oil

2 cups chopped onion

4 fresh cloves garlic, minced

16 ounces salsa (any salsa will do, but I prefer Pace’s “medium” picante sauce)

5 cans( 14-1/2 oz each) diced tomatoes (see note below)

1-1/2 cups dry white wine, such as Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris

2 teaspoons each, dried (or 1 tablespoon each fresh): basil, thyme, marjoram, and oregano

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2  cup chopped fresh parsley1 pound steamer clams (optional, but very tasty)2 cups shrimp meat

Salt and additional pepper to taste
   Cut the snapper and halibut into 1/2- to 1-inch chunks; set aside in refrigerator until needed.

   Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot and saute the onions and garlic over medium-high heat until the onions are tender. Stir in the salsa, tomatoes, wine, herbs, black pepper, and parsley and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened enough to have enough substance to coat a spoon. The stew base may be refrigerated at this point for several days (or even frozen for up to 4 or 5 months). Makes about 12 cups of sauce.

   When ready to assemble the Cioppino. bring the tomato mixture to a boil, then add the fish chunks and simmer until just barely cooked through. Next, add the scallops and clams and cook just until the clams open (discard any clams that don’t open). Add the shrimp, then bring the mixture back to a simmer; then remove the pot from the burner; the shrimp will heat through nicely and not become tough. Add salt and additional fresh ground black pepper to taste.

   Makes about 8 generous servings of  2-1/4 cups each.

   NOTE ON DICED TOMATOES: I use 1 can of diced tomatoes with jalapeno, and 4 cans of regular diced tomatoes. That little bit of jalapeno adds just enough zip. However, if you think you’ll be serving some very sensitive palates, just use 5 cans of regular diced tomatoes.

   Muffuleta Garlic-Olive Relish 

   Make this marvelous concoction now so you’ll have it throughout the next few weeks. It’s based on the New Orleans specialty,  the muffuleta sandwich - a hearty submarine sandwich concoction of Italian-style meats and cheeses, slathered with a rich olive and garlic However, it's a wonderful mixture to have on hand as an appetizer. So, several years ago I began fiddling with the formula and created the following version, which makes the perfect party spread, when accompanied by slices of a crusty baguette, or crostini.

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pimiento-stuffed olives

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted black olives

1/4 cup coarsely chopped red onion

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (more to taste)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons drained and rinsed capers

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled

1/4 teaspoon each: salt, freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

   Place the olives, onion, parsley, vinegar, garlic, capers, oregano, salt and pepper in a food processor.  Pulse the mixture until the ingredients are finely chopped.  Add the olive oil and continue processing just until the mixture is thoroughly chopped but not pureed. Adjust seasonings, adding additional vinegar if it needs a "zing," or additional olive oil if the mixture seems too "sharp." Will keep in the refrigerator for at least one month. Since the olive oil solidifies at low temperatures, remove from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving. Makes about 2 cups.

     San Francisco Spread 

   My Aunt Nida started making a version of this wonderful appetizer over 40 years ago. After combining the cream cheese, salami and green onions, she would stuff the mixture into hollowed-out San Francisco sour dough rolls, and then, after chilling them thoroughly, would slice each roll into 1/4-inch-thick pieces. These days, I opt out of the messy stuffing procedure and simply serve the spread in a lovely ceramic pot, surrounded by baguette slices.

About 1/4-pound salami, finely diced to yield 1 cup

1 cup finely chopped green onions (use all of the white portion, about 2/3 of the green)

24 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 baguette, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices

   Nida used to mince the salami and green onions by hand, but a food processor does the task in a fraction of the time. Just don't over-process or you'll wind up with ground salami. Also, process the salami and green onions separately.   Combine the finely diced salami and finely chopped green onions in a medium bowl with the softened cream cheese. Stir well to evenly distribute the salami and onions. Scrape the mixture into an attractive serving bowl, then cover and refrigerate. About 30 minutes before serving remove the spread from the refrigerator so the cream cheese can soften. To serve, place the bowl of spread in the center of a serving platter and arrange the bread slices around it. Be sure and provide a serving utensil with the spread so guests can scoop and spread a portion onto the bread. Makes about 2-1/2 cups of spread.

 

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   Food writers don’t deal in earth shattering issues. But food does bring people together. Which is why a lot of the world’s problems are solved while sitting around the dinner table. Or around a simmering crab pot with a favorite brother you don’t see nearly enough. Or over a cup of tea with your mother.   And of course, there’s also the evocative element of food. How simple things like baking shortbread or sipping a single-malt scotch can kindle images of beloved people from our past.  So,  when an email arrived from a reader in search of a family recipe I decided to get in on the hunt. My own family has made great efforts over the years to get our hands on Grandma Roberts’ gum drop cookie recipe, to perfect Grandma Skinners griddle scones, and to make sure the McMillan chutney recipe was being made according to my Great Aunt Meg’s finicky standards.

   This woman was in search of a recipe for candy coating hazelnuts like the ones her grandmother - Grandma Aden - in Wilsonville used to make. In her note, Marcia said that her search had begun “during two post-funeral family gatherings this past spring, (when) we cousins were reminiscing about the old world family foods we used to enjoy during the holidays, and the family patriarch, my 90-year-old uncle from Spokane, was avidly quizzing each of us to see if anyone had that recipe for candied filberts.” 

   Marcia had provided a terrific description of the treasured recipe: “It was something simple that my grandmother kept in her head and involved covering roasted filberts with a light, subtle, buttery, brown-sugar type of coating and, I think, roasting them a second time. The coating did not make the nuts clump together the way a caramely coating would, and the finished coating was not chewy or hard but more on the dry, un-sticky side; the nuts stayed separate, and the coating enhanced their natural flavor and aroma rather than overpowering them.

   “Needless to say,” she concluded, “eleven grateful cousins (none of whom seem to have inherited Gram’s talent in the kitchen) and two elderly uncles would be thrilled to be able to eat these treats again.”

   I poured through old cookbooks and Googled  “candied filberts,” but was getting nowhere. The pay-off came through a phone call to friends, Wayne and Joanne Chambers. As second-generation filbert growers, they live eat and breathe filberts. If anybody had bumped into this particular nutty confection it would be the Chambers.

   “Let me check with Wayne’s cousin,” said Joanne. From that inquiry, two recipes arrived in the mail. One of them struck me as a contender, so I headed into the kitchen to give it a test run.     In an email back to Marcia, I told her that I was possibly on the right track. “As you suspected, the recipe for the batch in question was really straightforward. After roasting and rubbing off the peel, the nuts are roasted again on a baking sheet in a puddle of Karo light syrup and butter (with a sprinkling of salt). They’re stirred several times during the roasting. The finished nuts have a light glaze on them as you described and don’t stick together.”

   I mailed off a batch for her to taste, fingers crossed. Her response was swift: “Dear Jan...Thank you so very, very much for the delicious hazelnut treats! They arrived in excellent shape...and I have been sneaking a few every chance I get. They are perfect! On behalf of the entire family (all of whom will soon be making their own batches), I thank you for all your help...Thank you for giving this part of our grandmother back to us! We are all more grateful than you can imagine...”

   At a time of year when we are all teetering on the edge of chaos there is many a household that will forgo making and sharing whatever recipes define that family. And that’s a shame. You see, if I had one wish for the holidays, it would be to travel back in time to sit at one more family dinner surrounded by my loud, lively, and oh-so-loving relatives now gone. And with that impossibility as my goal, the very least I can do is make the food that had meaning to us then and share it with those who mean the world to me now. 

   And if in so doing I perpetuate just a fraction of the love and nurturing that enveloped me during my youth, well then, my wish for that perfect Christmas season will have been granted.

 

   With that in mind, instead of frantically revising your to-do list to accommodate one more event, do not second guess the value of any of the following:

   - Family time around the table.

   - A midnight cup of cocoa with your home-from-college youngster.

   - The boxes of homemade fudge (or pickles! or peanut brittle!) you are mailing to your string of relatives living far from home.

    - Cooking with your kids and grandkids.

    - Simple gatherings with good friends.

   - Sharing a Thermos of hot soup with your best friend at the top of a nearby peak.

 

   Grandma Aden's Candied Hazelnuts

   This is the recipe that Marcia's family had me find for them. It's a great treat to make during the holidays - both as gifts and to have on hand.  I’ve been serving them to drop-in-friends, along with a glass of wine this month and they’ve been a big hit.

4 cups shelled hazelnuts

1 tablespoon butter

4 tablespoons light Karo syrup
   Place hazelnuts on a jelly roll pan and toast in a 350 degree oven just until very pale golden brown and the outer papery skins are beginning to crack and separate from the nut. Remove from oven and let cool. Pour into a large terry cloth towel and either fold it over or place another towel on top. Rub vigorously back and forth through the towel to peel away the skins from the hazelnuts. This can be done several days ahead and the nuts stored in an airtight container.

   When ready to candy the hazelnuts, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the 1 tablespoon of butter in the center of a jelly roll pan (or any baking sheet with sides), and put the pan in the oven to melt the butter. When the butter has melted, mix in the Karo syrup, then add the skinned filberts. Sprinkle lightly with salt and using a wide spatula, stir the nuts around in the syrup/butter mixture to evenly coat the nuts and spread them into a flat layer in the pan.

   Begin roasting the nuts, stirring about every 5 to 7 minutes so they stay evenly coated with the syrup as it cooks.

   In preparation for cooling the nuts, spread a large sheet of waxed paper or parchment paper on the counter. Then, when the nuts are a lovely golden brown, remove from oven and pour them out onto the paper to cool, quickly spreading them apart so they don’t touch each other during cooling. (It’s not a tragedy if some stick together; they break apart very easily after cooled.)   That’s it. When the nuts are completely cool, store them in an airtight container.

 

   Grandma Roberts’ Gum Drop Cookies

    These were a favorite any-time treat in the Roberts household .  Special thanks to my childhood pal, Debbie Trevithick, for reminding me that they should be included in this post!

1 cup butter (2 cubes) softened to room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon baking soda

2-1/4 cups sifted flour, divided

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon hot water

1-1/2 cups chopped gumdrops (assorted fruit flavors; please, no “sour” or mint); see "tip" below

½ cups chopped toasted walnuts

With hand-held or free-standing mixer, cream butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Cream in both sugars. Beat in eggs.

Sift flour, soda, salt and cinnamon together and stir into the butter/sugar mixture, mixing well. Add the teaspoon of hot water. Stir in the gumdrops and nuts.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drop batter by rounded teaspoons onto lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

If batter is chilled before using, the cookies will be crisper.

Tip: Cut the gumdrops into small pieces (about 1/4-inch) with kitchen scissors or sharp knife and dip the blade(s) into the 1/4 cup  flour so the pieces won’t stick together.

 

 

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   I was enjoying the hushed, little boy murmerings between two 4-year-old buddies on the neighbor side of my back fence as I tended my tomatoes. But it didn’t take long for so much uncharacteristic silence to trigger Trish’s maternal radar. “Nigel? Are you and Ben in the strawberry patch again? They aren’t ripe yet honey. Please leave them alone.”

   NIGEL (his mouth full of under-ripe berries): Okay!

   BEN: You’ll find us in the blueberries!

   Which is where they headed, still chatting heatedly about the wonders of gardening.

   “Have you ever heard of cherry tomatoes?” pondered Ben.

   “Of course!” scoffed Nigel.

   “Banana squash?”

    “Of course!”

    And so it went. This would be a wonderful summer of discovery for two little boys lucky enough to live in a community where it’s so easy to understand the connection between where food begins and where it ends up. With all of the delicious and curious interactions along the way, from the fun of tending to growing things, to the rewards and delight of harvesting, cooking, and, of course, eating what you grow.

   Even trips to the farmers’ markets - which both boys are treated to on a weekly basis - are a wonderful adventure. Indeed, we live in a horticultural paradise. One of the many joys of living here is the anticipation of local seasonal foods that Nigel and Ben have become aware of and are now chronicling so diligently. The first asparagus, rhubarb, and peas of spring are followed by the fabulous Oregon strawberry in early June. Summer brings more berries - elegant raspberries, a jumble of blueberries (more varieties than you would ever imagine!), Marionberries, and loganberries, sweet cherries, peaches, apricots, melons, juicy new-crop garlic, sweet corn, onions, and two months of non-stop heirloom tomatoes.

    As we head into the high season for summer bounty, the only mistake you can make in the kitchen is to underutilize or over-cook what nature has so generously provided. A favorite niece came to town for a short visit and our best meal was the most impromptu; made from an armload of produce we’d picked up at Gathering Together Farm on our way in from a picnic on top of Mary’s Peak with Steve, my mother and my father. We quartered the new potatoes and Walla Walla Sweets, and scattered them onto a large baking pan, along with some trimmed young green beans and some fresh heads of garlic that I halved horizontally. We gave the whole affair a light drizzle of olive oil along with a bit of salt and pepper before popping it in the oven.

   Meredith sliced an heirloom tomato and added rich droplets of balsamic vinegar while Mom sliced the Big River Pugliese bread. Once the vegggies were almost done - which only took about 30 minutes, steaks went on the grill and the Tyee Estate Barrel Select Pinot was opened and poured.

   That’s all it takes this time of year to wow a crowd - or a couple of 4-year-olds like Nigel and Ben. The only thing that would have made it better? A big pot of freshly-cooked corn, and a Marionberry cobbler chaser.

Green Bean and Sweet Onions in Vinaigrette With Blue Cheese and Roasted Hazelnuts

 
   A great make-ahead salad for summer barbeques.
Makes servings for 4 to 6 1 pound green beans, trimmed

 1/2 cup diced Walla Walla Sweet onion

1/2 cup sliced black olives

Dijon Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/3 cup chopped roasted and skinned hazelnuts

1-1/2 cups of local cherry tomatoes, halvedFresh basil leaves for garnish
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the beans uncovered until tender-crisp, 6 to 7 minutes. Drain immediately and plunge into cold running water to stop the cooking process and set the color. Drain well, then place the beans in a medium bowl, along with the onion and the vinaigrette. Toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. (Note: the beans will not retain their bright green color, but the flavor from the marinade certainly compensates!)
   To serve: Drain off the marinade from the bean mixture and place the beans on a lovely serving platter (Be sure and reserve the drained dressing for another use.). Sprinkle with the blue cheese and nuts, then arrange the tomatoes around the perimeter of the platter. Add a few basil leaves for garnish.
     Dijon Vinaigrette
Makes about 3/4 cup
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 cloves finely chopped fresh garlic1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

About 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup canola oil
In a bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, basil, mustard, garlic, sugar, salt, pepper and oil.

    Recipe adapted from “The Big Book of Potluck,” by Maryana Vollstedt.
   
     Berries Romanoff
Makes 4 servings
2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced

Sugar to taste

2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened

6 tablespoons orange-flavored liquor (such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau)

1 cup heavy cream, whippedWhole berries for garnish
Gently smash the berries with a potato masher or back of spoon, leaving about one-third of the berries whole. Sprinkle with granulated sugar to taste. Place the ice cream in a large bowl, then stir to soften and smooth it out. Reserve one cup of the berries and stir the rest into the softened ice cream, along with the liqueur. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Quickly divide the reserved cup of berries among 4 dessert glasses (clear glass is the most elegant because you will be able to see the layers). Spoon the cream mixture into the glasses, top each serving with one or more whole berries and serve.

 

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After four hours of clambering up slippery granite and crumbly talus slopes, my hiking partner and I had made it to the top of a 12,000 foot peak overlooking one of Yosemite’s many high-Sierra lakes. The view would have been reward enough, but as I looked on in amazement my friend pulled two crystal goblets and a bottle of Champagne from his pack. Next, he removed a plastic carton containing eight fresh strawberries.

While I held the berry-filled crystal, he uncorked the bottle with a resounding "pop" that echoed across the canyon below. As Champagne bubbled and frothed around the berries, we toasted the sunset. Naturally, I thought that my life as a strawberry lover was complete.

But that was many (many!) summers ago. Three years later I had moved to Oregon, and THAT was when I discovered what strawberry life in the fast lane is all about. Oregonians take their strawberries seriously. VERY seriously. For good reason: They're WON-derful. So wonderful that dedicated souls disdain all imports, waiting not-so-patiently for the real thing to ripen on local bushes. Then, trusty cartons in tow, they tromp out to their favorite strawberry patch or vendor and pick a peck of strawberry heaven.

In an established strawberry field, it’s 30 to 40 days from bloom to berry. This year, that process began earlier than usual. About three weeks earlier, thanks to an unusually warm and dry spring. So don’t delay. If your inner strawberry clock was set for the first week in June as the time when you would begin thinking about jams and shortcake and daiquiris, you’re going to miss out. Here it is early June and we’re already mid-way through the season.

Almost all of Oregon’s strawberries are grown west of the Cascades in the Willamette Valley. Marion County has the most strawberry acreage in the state (about 47 percent), followed by Washington County (22 percent). Other Willamette Valley counties producing significant amounts of strawberries include Benton, Clackamas, Columbia, Lane, Linn, Multnomah, Polk, and Yamhill. Of course, there’s also some acreage in the north central and southwestern parts of the state.

If you’ve been living in this state long enough, then you’ve noticed a significant drop in the numbers of strawberry fields. The Oregon Agricultural Statistics Service reports that back in 1955, the state boasted a whopping 17,500 acres of strawberries. By the time I arrived in 1980, acreage was down to 5,200 acres. Last year 2,600 acres were harvest.

Even with this rapid drop in acreage, Oregon still ranks third in the United States in strawberry production. But it’s a distant third, behind California and Florida, and represents only 2 percent of the nation’s strawberries. The main reasons for the decline of Oregon’s strawberry industry is three-fold: an increased cost of production; a decline in the number of local strawberry processing plants; and huge competition from the Florida and California markets, which have significantly longer growing seasons, cheaper labor and production costs, and a cheaper end-product.

Of course, nowhere in this analysis have I stated a decline in quality. No sir. Oregon strawberries still rank at the top in this department, which makes them all the more dear.

There are many varieties to enjoy, and a thousand different opinions as to which is "the best". And since such judgements are subjective, when it gets right down to it you'll just have to try them all and decide for yourself.

The good news is you won't have to climb to 12,000 feet to do it. Unless you really want to impress a hiking partner.

 

(NOTE: below the following recipes, I’ve included some step-by-step guidelines for making jam)

 

Jan’s Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri Mix

Makes about 1 quart frozen strawberry puree

There are no special canning skills required to make up batches of this fresh strawberry puree. Just plenty of fresh local strawberries and a little bit of freezer space. This simple puree makes for heavenly rum-laden daiquiri drinks or alcohol-free strawberry-flavored treats all year long.

2 cups granulated or superfine sugar

1/3 cup fresh lime juice (approximately 2 medium limes)

1/4 cup water

1 quart fresh strawberries, washed and hulled

Combine the sugar, lime juice and water. Stir to mix, and then let stand until sugar is almost completely dissolved, about 15 minutes (mixture will be thick).

In blender jar or food processor, combine the sugar mixture with the berries. Blend until smooth. Pour into half-pint, pint- , or quart-size freezer containers. Alternatively, pour the mixture into ice cube trans and freeze until firm, unmold and pack into zip-lock freezer bags.

The mixture will become solid, but will have the consistency of a very firm sherbet, so you’ll be able to scoop portions from the main batch, then re-seal the mixture and store back in the freezer.

FOR A 1-SERVING SIZE STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRI: In a blender jar, combine 1-1/2 to 2 ounces rum, 1/4 cup frozen strawberry daiquiri mix (2 average-sized cubes that have been frozen in ice cube trays) and 7 or 8 average sized ice cubes. Blend until smooth. Most blender jars can handle up to 4 servings.

Jan's Exquisite Strawberry Jam
For food preservers with a little bit of canning experience, or adventurous beginners, I’m including my favorite strawberry jam recipe. One that is free of commercial pectin. It’s based on my popular recipe for Peerless Red Raspberry Preserves, which is a fast-cook procedure. The resulting preserves are what I would describe as a "soft" gel. But it’s a luscious preserve, no commercial pectin giving the jam an unnatural firmness, and full of fresh Oregon strawberry flavor. All that and only about 7 minutes of cooking.

Makes 4 half-pints.

The secret to perfection is the brief, fast cooking in small batches (this recipe cannot be doubled). A wide, shallow pan (a 12-inch cast-iron skillet is perfect) is essential.

4 heaping cups washed and hulled strawberries(1 pound, 6 ounces; to ensure a high pectin content, about 1/4 of the berries should be slightly under-ripe)

3-1/2 cups sugar

1/3 cup strained fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon butter

Coarsely chop the berries by placing small batches of them into the workbowl of a food processor and hitting the "pulse" button several times (you can also do this by hand, of course, but it goes pretty slow). You should have 3-1/2 cups of coarsely chopped berries.

In a large bowl, combine the berries with the sugar and lemon juice. Gently stir the mixture using a rubber spatula until the sugar is evenly distributed and the juices have begun to flow; let the mixture stand, stirring gently every 20 minutes or so, for at least 1 hour, but no longer than 2 hours.

Wash 4 half-pint jars. Keep hot until needed. Prepare lids as manufacturer directs.

Scrape the mixture into a 12-inch skillet or saute pan. Add the 1 teaspoon of butter (this controls the production of foam). Bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly with a straight-ended wooden or nylon spatula. Adjust the heat downward to keep it from boiling over, and boil for 7 minutes. Remove from heat.

Remove the skillet from the burner and let the jam settle for about 20 seconds; if any foam remains, skim it off. Ladle hot preserves into 1 hot jar at a time, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Wipe jar rim with a clean, damp cloth. Attach lid. Fill and close remaining jars.

At this point, the jam may be stored in the refrigerator for up to six months or longer without the quality suffering.

For long-term storage at room temperature, you will need to process the jars in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes (at 1,000 to 3,000 feet, process for 15 minutes; 3,000 to 6,000 feet, for 20 minutes; above 6,000 feet, for 25 minutes). Using a jar lifter, remove the processed jars from the boiling water and let cool on the counter, undisturbed, overnight.

NOTE ABOUT THE CONSISTENCY OF THE JAM: This is going to be a very "loose" jam - the kind that moves around in the jar slightly as its tilted. So if you don't like such a soft gel, you might as well steer clear of this recipe. There's also a stronger likelihood of fruit wanting to float toward the top of the jar, which creates a clear layer of jam at the bottom of the jar. Here's how I've managed to repair that phenomenon when it appears to be happening: About 3 hours after the jars have been removed from the boiling water canner, if you notice that that clear space at the bottom of the jars hasn't started to fill in with fruit, then you can begin a cycle of turning the jars on their heads for periods of 60 minutes at a time (gently flip the jars for 60 minutes, then gently flip them back onto their bottoms for 60 minutes; repeat several times during the day or night). This really does seem to work.

ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTIONS: it makes a delicious non-alcoholic cooler when blended with a bit of sparkling water or soda and ice. Or for a more creamy "Smoothie," blend in milk, a banana or yogurt or vanilla ice cream.

The Original Grace Center Strawberry Jubilee Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

Also known as "Killer-Berries Supreme" around our house. I created these for the very first Strawberry Jubilee, many years ago. They were a huge hit. And rightly so; they’re the ultimate chocolate-covered berry. A little more work than the plain-dipped varieties, but worth it.

1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk

2 teaspoons almond extract

1-1/2 pints fresh strawberries, with pretty stems intact

In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips, shortening and butter over hot, not boiling, water (don't rush the process, it should happen slowly and gently or the chocolate will do funny things).

Meanwhile, cream together the 1/2 cup butter and sugar. Beat in the milk and almond extract. This will form a stiff dough.

Now pinch off small portions of the dough and pat out on hand into a thin round pancake (do this quickly or the dough will begin to melt). Place a berry in center of the pancake and form the dough up around the berry, making sure the leaves remain exposed. If possible, chill the strawberries at this point so the chocolate will harden more quickly during the dipping.

Dip the dough-covered strawberries in the melted chocolate, to within 1/4-inch of the almond dough mixture (in other words, leave a rim of the dough exposed for the prettiest appearance) and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Chill. Remove from cookie sheet when the chocolate has hardened and place in a covered container, in the refrigerator. Berries are best when served within 24 or 36 hours. After that, they begin to ooze berry juice (but they still taste wonderful).

Scofield House Strawberries in White Chocolate Cream

1 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 ounces coarsely chopped white chocolate

1-1/2 cups whipping cream, whipped to form soft peaks

1 quart fresh strawberries

Place the 1 cup of whipping cream in a heavy-bottomed 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the cream just comes to a boil (about 2 to 3 minutes). Remove from heat. Combine sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk in egg yolks with a wire whisk until light and creamy. Gradually whisk in the warm cream to the egg mixture. Return to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and white chocolate, continuing to stir until the chocolate has melted. Refrigerate overnight.

Gently mix the 1-1/2 cups of whipped cream into the custard. Re Clean and slice the strawberries. Sprinkle with a little bit of sugar if desired. Spoon strawberries halfway into 8 parfait glasses. Spoon 1/4 cup of white chocolate mixture over strawberries. Fill rest of each glass with strawberries. Spoon on another layer of the custard. (For a more decorative touch, instead of simply spooning the last layer of custard on top of the berries, you could fill a decorating bag with the custard and pipe a dollop of custard on top of the strawberries. Chill at least 1 hour to firm up the custard.

Recipe from the Scofield House Bed and Breakfast, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

 

River Walk Inn Strawberries in Port

1 quart fresh strawberries, stemmed and sliced

½ cup good-quality tawny port

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

Combine all ingredients and chill for at least 1 hour before serving. If berries are not sweet, you may sprinkle with a little sugar. Dessert wine is a good alternative to port.

Recipe from River Walk Inn Bed and Breakfast, Eugene, Oregon.

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THE BARE MINIMUM EQUIPMENT LIST FOR MAKING JAM:

Most of these items are self-explanatory and will be found in any department store where canning supplies are sold.

- Boiling water canner. If you plan to store all of your preserves in the refrigerator, you won’t use this. But if you have limited refrigerator space, you’ll want to take the extra steps to "can" your batches of jam, fruits, pickles, and relishes so that they can be stored at room temperature. This requires "processing" the filled and capped jars in a boiling water canner. They’re not expensive, and they’re usually made from lightweight aluminum or enameled metal. Any pot will do, as long as it will hold several jars sitting on a rack (see below), and still have enough head room to cover the jars with at least 2 inches of water boiling vigorously and not leaping out of the pot.

- Canning jars and lids. The most common sized jars available are half-pints, pints, and quarts. You’ll need half-pints and pints for jams, relishes and chutneys, whereas the quarts are handy for bulkier items like pickles and fruits in syrup. All sizes come in either "regular" or "wide-mouthed" tops. Obviously, wide-mouthed jars are easier to fill, however, from an aesthetic point of view, I tend to use more of the "regular" jars.

- Jar funnel. Even if you’re using the wide-mouthed jars, you’ll need this device for filling canning jars. It’s designed to nest on top of an empty jar and direct a ladle-full of preserves (or relish, or salsa, or chutney, or pickles) down into it without leaving messy glops on the jar rim. Get one, they’re cheap!

- Jar lifter. Unless your hands are tough enough to withstand a plunge into scalding-hot water, you’ll need this device to retrieve filled and sealed jars from the depths of a boiling water canner.

- Lid lifter. A magnet embedded into the business end of a plastic wand, designed to fish out the lids from their hot soaking water. Look, ma! No hands.

Rack - keeps jars off the bottom of the boiling water canner during processing. Also keeps jars from bumping into each other during the process, which helps to eliminate breakage.

STEP-BY-STEP TIPS FOR MAKING JAMS

1. PREPARE JARS AND LIDS:

Start with freshly-washed canning jars and two-piece canning lids (available this time of year in most supermarkets and hardware-type stores). Wash them by hand in hot, soapy water, then give them a rinse and place the jars, bottoms up, on a towel-lined cookie sheet in a warm oven until needed.

To prepare the lids, just follow the manufacturers directions that came with them. Typically, you’ll place them in a pot of water which you’ll bring JUST to a boil then remove from the heat. The hot water softens up the sealing compound that is on the flat lids. Leave the lids in the hot water until you use them.

2. PROCEED WITH MAKING THE JAM:

Wash and remove caps from strawberries. Place small batches in a bowl and crush one layer at a time until you have 4 cups of crushed berries. Place the measured berries in a 6- or 8-quart heavy-bottomed pot. Add the sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring this mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Add the butter, and stir it in.

Remove the pot from the burner. Add the entire contents of liquid pectin and quickly stir it into the hot fruit and sugar mixture. Return the pot to the burner, bring to a rolling boil (NOTE: "rolling boil" means a vigorous boil that can’t be stirred back down to a simmer), and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove the pot from the heat and place it on a hot pad to settle down for a couple of minutes. At this point, if there is any foam on the surface, scrape it off with a spoon.

3. FILLING AND CAPPING YOUR JARS:

Remove a hot jar from the oven and place it next to the pot of hot jam. Place the jar funnel on top of the jar and ladle some hot jam into the jar. Fill the jar to within 1/4 inch of the top. The space left between the surface of the jam and the top of the jar is called the "head space." Lift off the funnel and place it on a clean surface, like a saucer or dinner plate. To make sure there are no droplets of jam on the jar rim, wipe it with a clean, damp cloth.

"Attach lid." This phrase will be used in all future recipes. Here are the steps it involves: Using your magnetic lid wand, fish out one of the flat metal discs from the pot of hot water. Shake off excess water, and place it on the jar rim with the sealing-compound side down against the jar rim. Next, remove one of the metal screw bands, shake of excess water and screw it down onto the jar. Screw firmly, but not excessively. If you’re planning to process your jars in a boiling water canner (see below), then place your filled and closed jar in the pot of hot water using a jar lifter. Repeat the filling and closing with all of the jars, placing each one in the pot as it is filled and closed. You will probably run out of jam before you run out of jars.

4. PROCESS IN A BOILING WATER CANNER (or not):

If you have enough refrigerator space, you can, at this point, simply store your jams in the refrigerator without further ado. They will hold their quality well beyond one year. But if you want to make your jams "shelf stable," so they can be stored at room temperature without molding or otherwise suffering in quality, you need to process the jars in a boiling water canner. In some cookbooks, this procedure is called a "boiling water bath." Use a pot that is deep enough to ensure that the jars are covered by at least 2 inches of water, and that there will be 2 inches of pan left to keep the boiling water from bouncing out while it’s boiling.

When the jars are filled, lids screwed on, and placed in the boiling water canner, bring the water to a boil. You may have to adjust the heat slightly at this point to tame the boil - you don’t want water leaping out of the pan, but you do want a vigorous boil that won’t go away. Boil the jars in the water (this is called "processing") for 10 minutes. (NOTE: The processing time varies from recipe to recipe, although most jams are processed for 10 minutes. After the jars have been "processed", remove them with your jar lifter and place them on a towel in a draft-free area of the kitchen.

5. LISTEN FOR THE PING:

The most satisfying sound to a food preservers ear is the tell-tale "ping, signifying that a vacuum has been formed and the jar is sealing properly. The ping occurs as the lid is sucked down from its convex to concave position. It occurs anywhere between the first few moments after removing the jars from the canner up to an hour or so. After the jars have completely cooled, check the seal by pressing down on each lid. If it’s truly sealed, the surface will be solid and won’t bounce back to your touch. Place unsealed jars in the refrigerator.

If you’re going to make your jams "shelf stable," as opposed to storing them in the refrigerator, you will need to process the filled-and-closed jars in a boiling water canner. This is the time to fill the canner with water and get it heating up on a back burner while you make the jam. I’ll walk you through the "processing your jars in a boiling water canner" further down in the recipe.

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This is my most treasured kitchen tip  that I will share with you today. This single store-bought phenomenon has turned salad construction into a delight. Here's how it works:

- First, purchase a food-grade clear plastic box (with lid) that is large enough to hold the equivalent of at least 5 nights worth of salad greens. Obviously, it needs to be small enough to fit on a shelf in your refrigerator. My own purchase is a Rubbermaid model measuring 11-by 16-inches, and is only 6 inches tall.

- Purchase your salad greens. NOT the "Salad In A Bag" variety. We're talking genuine heads of lettuce, with all of the leaves still attached to the stem. I buy 6-pack bags of Romaine lettuce hearts from Costco.

- Prep your greens for the box by removing each and every leaf and rinsing them in cool water. Vigorously shake the leaves (but don't dry them) and arrange them in the box. I like to arrange them in two or three groupings, beginning with the darkest and least crunchy at one end and the crunchiest at the other. That way, when making my salad each night, I can easily monitor the balance of textures.

- That's it. You will be shocked at how dramatically this simple box will alter your attitude about throwing together the evening salad. No wrestling with grimy Romaine leaves at the last minute. No pawing through slimy butterleaf in a clinging plastic produce bag. The box keeps the collection of greens hydrated and crisp down to the last leaf. And the prep work has already been done.

- Okay, so what happens to all of the other salad ingredients you ask? Won't they continue to wreak havoc on one another in the vegetable bins? Nope. When I removed the lettuce element from that environment, all of the other vegetables suddenly behaved. Mainly because they were no longer fighting for space. But also, because it was suddenly easier to police the situation and nip any problems in the bud, so to speak.

 

JAN'S AMAZING VINAIGRETTE BASE

You know the biggest problem with homemade vinaigrettes? We store them in the refrigerator to keep all the herbs and garlic fresh, but when you go to use them - if you haven’t thought ahead and removed the vinaigrette from the fridge - the olive oil is thick and gunky until it gets up to room temperature. So...I’ve developed this amazing "salad helper." It’s a vinaigrette base made from red wine vinegar with gobs of minced garlic, lots of fresh-ground peppercorns, salt, and a pinch of sugar. Store THIS mixture in the refrigerator and keep the olive oil in the pantry at room temperature. Then...when you’re ready to toss the evening salad, just whisk together some of the zesty vinaigrette base with the desired amount of your room-temp olive oil and you’ve got a tossed-green in no time.

 

Makes 3 cups of Vinaigrette Base; enough to create at least 6 cups of vinaigrette. That’s a ratio of 1 part vinaigrette base to 1 part olive oil; some people prefer an oilier vinaigrette, in which case, your vinaigrette base will make considerably more vinaigrette.

 

3 cups red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic (6 large cloves)

1-3/4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon greshly ground black pepper

Whisk together all of the ingredients in a bowl (preferably one with a pouring spout). Select a 3- to 4-cup capacity bottle or jar with a screw-top lid (consider using empty liquor or water bottles). Pour the prepared vinegar mixture through a funnel into the bottle and store in the refrigerator.

To prepare vinaigrette as needed, whisk together desired amounts of the vinegar base with good quality olive oil. You can either do this right in the salad bowl and toss with the salad ingredients, or you can whisk a small amount in a separate cup then drizzle over your salad before tossing.

Dijon Vinaigrette Alternative: To 1/2 cup of my Vinaigrette Base, whisk in 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard and a splash of soy sauce or Ponzu sauce before whisking in the olive oil.

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SAVE THE DATE!  My Second Annual Tyee Harvest Dinner for Nuts.

Friday, July 13th.

 Last year it was a celebration for my newly-relased cookbook, "Oregon Hazelnut Country - the food, the drink, the spirit." We were welcomed to the Buchanan Family Century Farm and Tyee Winery by Margy and Dave Buchanan and Tyee winemaker, Merrilee Buchanan Benson. The stand-up course took place in their hazelnut orchard. Then it was up to the barn for white linens, china, and a country feast of delights straight out of my book. (Note: Transportation from the orchard to the barn was provided - but many chose to take a lovely stroll.) The meal was prepared and served perfectly by our region's finest caterer, Valley Catering.

 

Naturally, all of Tyee's wines paired beautifully with the courses.

 

Well...We're doing it again! And seating is limited.

 

 

For details, including a look at the menu, and reservations, go to www.tyeewine.com 

 

 The Soup Course!

 

 

And it ends with a bonfire!

For more info, a peek at the menu, and reservations, go to www.tyeewine.com

 

 

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Thirty years of marriage and we're down to our last three original dinner plates. Beginning with twelve in 1981, by the turn of the century it was The Final Four. Then, last week, one more slipped from my grasp.

It's just the everyday stuff, of course, not the company china. So much less of a tragedy one would think. But as I stood there holding the crisply broken pieces back in place one last time before placing them in the trash, I realized what a lifetime of family experiences had been layered over the surface of this common pottery. For me, the memories were etched into the fragments as palpably as the delicate crackling in the glaze of my mother's favorite teapot that gives it such character. Or the fine lines emerging on my face.

It's the everyday experiences, conducted around those everyday dishes, that build up to make a life. The kind of below-the-radar accumulation that doesn't even seem precious until you're looking back and you realize that it underpins all the "significant" outcomes you thought were taking place around the good china.

As a cook, you might find comfort in these thoughts, not only in the context of family life, but also in that of environmental awareness. The foundation for stewardship of the land is not made up of legislation, but of countless gestures of small individual significance that build widespread understanding of our inescapable connection to and dependence upon this land.

Like this week's harvest of fresh, local produce. Just as surely as you gain a satisfying moment from the act of cooking with the seasons, you're transferring a tiny sense of wonder to all who come in contact with the process: the grandchild apprentice who will never forget the aroma of fresh-picked blackberries simmering in sugar, your college-bound son discovering the dish of apple cobbler you tucked into a corner of his trunk before he pulled out of the driveway, all the friends who sit at your table.

And so, every time you choose to step into the kitchen and wrestle a peck of Oregon berries (or peaches, or pears or tomatoes) into edible offerings, you've banked one more coin in the Oregon Trust. Which is why I say, to nourish these lands so that they will continue to inspire and sustain us is accomplished one unremarkable step at a time. Just as the layering on of routine experiences within a family ultimately defines that family, celebrating the season's bounty can be considered about as ordinary as your first set of dishes.

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     WITH WINTER (finally!) pounding away at our psyches, I wanted to share my wonderful rendition of a fish and crab stew: cioppino. What makes it especially great for this month is that, even though we’ve just survived the holiday season, we still want to gather with friends and family. Without the fuss! Well, this the perfect offering. For one thing, the tomato-stew base can be made ahead and reheated at the gathering right before serving. Then it’s simply a matter of dropping in the various forms of fish and shellfish in proper order so that none gets over-cooked.

     You’ll notice that the types of fish and shellfish are based on whatever you can find that’s fresh and fabulous in the fish market. Crab, for instance, is in season right now, so I always include it in my winter Cioppino.

There are as many renditions of this San Francisco classic as there are folks who’ve left their hearts there. Good friends Pam and Dan Bottom shared a version with me several years ago, and I was blown away by its simplicity and flavor. It’s become my signature stew. What makes it especially great is the fact that the tomato base can be prepared days ahead. Then, just before you’re ready to serve, you can heat it up and begin adding the fish and shellfish in the appropriate order so that everything turns out tender and cooked to perfection. Just make sure the ingredients are fresh! fresh! fresh! So know your fish guy.

One great way to keep the expense under control is to turn the dish into a potluck sort of affair. You make the spicy tomato base, then assign your guests one or two of the seafood selections. That way the cost of the evening’s meal is evenly shared by all who are going to enjoy it.

     With the main course handled, all you have to figure out are the accompaniments: A fabulous salad, of course; plenty of good-quality artisan bread; and the right wine and craft beer..

Most of our fabulous Oregon reds absolutely sing alongside this hearty-yet-elegant dish. From southern Oregon’s smooth and fruity Syrahs to Willamette Valley’s Pinot Noirs, you can hardly go wrong with such pairings. For a craft beer, consider a lovely middle-of-the-road amber ale, which stands up next to the tomatoey base of the stew without overwhelming the fish.

     CIOPPINO! - A WINTER FISH AND CRAB STEW

Makes about 8 generous servings of 2-1/4 cups each

     Cooked Dungeness crab isn’t exactly requisite, but it is a classic ingredient and since it’s in season, please consider adding it to the mix! Another fun addition would be green-lipped mussels, also known as New Zealand Greenshell mussels. In Corvallis, they’re available frozen and on the half shell at Harry & Annette’s Fresh Fish (151 N.W. Monroe), and Market of Choice (922 N.W. Circle Blvd).

3/4 pound red snapper

3/4 pound halibut

1/2 pound scallops

2 tablespoons oil

2 cups chopped onion

4 fresh cloves garlic, minced

16 ounces salsa (any salsa will do, but I prefer Pace’s "medium" picante sauce)

5 cans( 14-1/2 oz each) diced tomatoes (see note below)

1-1/2 cups dry white wine, such as Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, or an Oregon Chardonnay

2 teaspoons each, dried (or 1 tablespoon each fresh): basil, thyme, marjoram, and oregano

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 pound steamer clams or green-lipped mussels

2 cups fresh peeled and deveined shrimp meat

1 to 2 whole cooked crab, depending on their size, or about 3 cups of firm, cooked Dungeness crab meat (see note)

Salt and additional pepper to taste

Cut the snapper and halibut into 1/2- to 1-inch chunks; set aside in refrigerator until needed.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot and saute the onions and garlic over medium-high heat until the onions are tender. Stir in the salsa, tomatoes, wine, herbs, black pepper, and parsley and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened enough to have enough substance to coat a spoon. The stew base may be refrigerated at this point for several days (or even frozen for up to 4 or 5 months).

When ready to assemble the Cioppino. bring the tomato mixture to a boil, then add the fish chunks and simmer until just barely cooked through. Add the clams and cook just until the clams open (discard any clams that don’t open). Add the shrimp and crab and remove the pot from the burner; the shrimp and crab will heat through nicely and not become tough. Add salt and additional fresh ground black pepper to taste..

NOTE ON DICED TOMATOES: I use 1 can of diced tomatoes with jalapeno, and 4 cans of regular diced tomatoes. That little bit of jalapeno adds just enough zip. However, if you think you’ll be serving some very sensitive palates, just use 5 cans of regular diced tomatoes.

NOTE ON CRAB: Adding cooked crab meat is the less messy way to go, but the meat tends to disappear into the stew; whereas, if you simply break 1 (or 2 if they are small) whole cooked and cleaned crab(s) into its parts (legs, claws, and the halved or quartered body), folks can fish out a portion and break it open themselves for a real tastey treat.

　

     ZESTY SLAW WITH CABBAGE, CELERY, CARROT, GREEN ONION AND EMMENTHAL CHEESE

Makes about 6-1/2 cups salad, enough for 8 to 10 side servings

     Here’s a wonderful salad to serve alongside the Cioppino. It’s an easy make-ahead offering.

6 cups shredded green cabbage

2 cups finely chopped celery

1 cup shredded carrot

1/2 cup chopped green onion (all of the white and a portion of the green from 4 or 5 onions)

2 cups shredded Emmenthal or other fine-quality Swiss cheese

2 cloves finely minced garlic

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

About 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup olive oil

　

In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, celery, carrot, and onion; toss to combine. Add the cheese and toss again.

Combine the garlic with the lemon juice, vinegar, Dijon, salt and pepper. Whisk in the oil then adjust seasonings, adding additional salt, pepper, lemon juice or vinegar to bring the dressing into balance - not too oily, not too zesty. Pour the dressing over the salad mixture, tossing well to completely coat the ingredients with the dressing. Chill well before serving. May be made several hours ahead.

　

　

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(Note from Jan: October is Alzheimer's Awareness Month, so I'm posting the following story in recognition of that...)

Perhaps only in a food writer's mind  can a connection be made between a spin around the dance floor and a bushel of Gravenstein apples.

The wedding was held on a warm summer evening at a charming old farm, outside of Snohomish, Washington, just east of Seattle. Cloaked in the golden ambiance of a century-old barn glittering in candle light, this promised to be an elegant affair.

But what really drew me to the event was the opportunity to spend time with family and friends from my home base in California; particularly my godparents, Ralph and Louise. Since trips to the San Francisco Bay area are not as frequent as they should be, I wasn't going to let this time slip by.

At 87, Ralph has been dealing with alzheimer's for about 10 years. Growing up, I remember an innately bright and kind-hearted man who sat patiently through all of my middle- and high school drama productions. Even now, his disease hasn't rendered him less sweet or endearing to those around him. And he's so remarkably adept at masking his inability to recognize anyone but his wife of 55 years, that it's easy to carry on a conversation with him as if nothing has changed.

But it has, of course. After a delightful few minutes with Ralph, I've learned to steel myself for the moment when he'll turn to my godmother and ask, "Louise, who was that pretty little girl?"

This special couple represents that phase of my life when my folks were in charge and life was good. It was a fine childhood, particularly those times spent with Ralph and Louise, and the rest of my parents' tight circle of friends. Camping in Yosemite, ramming around California's gold country, San Francisco musicals, these were all grand adventures thanks to these genuinely fine adults who lived full lives that always included my brother and me.

And because Ralph was a great dancer, many of my images are of the various dance floors we encountered: a Victorian parlor at the Wawona Hotel in Yosemite, where a solo pianist played past midnight so we all could have a turn at waltzing with Ralph; a country inn near Fiddletown and another lone piano player trying to keep up with our crowd's exuberant style; and of course, every family wedding.

But I hadn't shared such occasions with Ralph in many years. So it simply hadn't occurred to me that he still sported dancing feet until Louise turned to him when the music started inside that barn near Snohomish and said, "Come on, Ralph. Let's dance."

Enjoying the sight of them, my mother and I watched Ralph and Louise drift elegantly around the floor through several melodies. Then, since I didn't know when - or even if - I'd ever get this chance again, I cut in on Louise. It was a fox-trot, and Ralph easily led me through the steps.

The energetic beat faded, but we lingered, waiting for the next tune.

It was Natalie and Nat King Cole, singing "Unforgettable." And the years between my youth and this moment merged. Suddenly I was that little girl at the country inn, peeking through the lace curtains on the porch along with my cousin Bonnie, as the adults waltzed gracefully around the room in the California Sierra foothills.

I looked over my godfather's left shoulder hoping he couldn't see the tears.

As Nat King Cole faded out, a familiar piece of the 40's brought everyone on the dance floor to attention. "Go girl go," laughed Ralph. And I did, holding on for dear life as we spun and dipped to "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B."

And then, halfway through "Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog," Ralph finally put up a hand. "Oh my, I've got to rest. You know, I'm not 86 anymore."

In search of fresh evening air and a glorious sunset, I found myself standing by a grizzled old apple tree. It must have been at least 75 years old, that tree. A basket of newly-picked apples stood off to the side. Who had planted this tree? Had they been around to watch it mature? Gauged the growth of their family against its sturdy trunk? Picniced beneath it's sheltering branches through decades of hot summer days?

How many pies were born from its countless harvests, I wondered? And for how many people would the mere scent of freshly-picked apples carry them back to this very spot on earth and make them smile?

When a family of settlers at Lord Hill Farm planted this tree, they were undoubtedly preparing for the future. As stewards of the land's ability to nurture our descendants, they couldn't possibly have known that it would be the kind of sustenance that was as good for the spirit as the body. Just as my parents and their circle of friends couldn't possibly have known that the seeds of love they planted in my youth would flourish and bloom as completely as they did.

And how was I to have known that a precious spin around the dance floor with Ralph could distill a lifetime of memories into something so vivid and sweet?

Gravensteins and dance floors.

From the music drifting out through the barn doors, I knew that Ralph was waltzing with Louise once again, and that he had inevitably asked, "Who was that pretty little girl?"

To which I will always say: A very lucky friend.

Open Face Apple Pie

An old recipe which still tastes great today. Serve warm or cold

1 9-inch deep-dish unbaked pie shell

4 to 5 tart green cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup heavy cream

Ground cinnamon

Place sliced apples in the unbaked pie shell. Mix together sugar, flour and salt and sprinkle over apples.

In a saucepan, bring cream to the boiling point; pour over apples. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon. Bake in 375 degree F. oven for 45 minutes, or until apples are soft and the pie is firm.

Recipe from "Oregon Sampler: Resorts & Recipes," by The Assistance League of Corvallis.

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