Food & Cooking

November 28, 2021November 27, 2021

Holiday Season Begins

We pretty much took the week off not worried about getting blog material. Still we can share a few smart-phone snaps from a fishing trip and Thanksgiving meal prep. Pandemic limitations have eased some and we plan on sharing Christmas dinner at a family gathering. But this holiday week we’re sipping whiskey by the fire and enjoying a quiet read.

In Central Oregon winter starts up around this time. There is often snow on the ground, for sure in the mountains, by Thanksgiving. On the other hand, weather is always changing … this week was a good example.

Started the week with a sunny, almost spring-like day on the Crooked River. Weather reports were showing snow leading up to Thanksgiving.

On Tuesday it did snow, pretty much all day. However, by Wednesday only the well shaded areas still held patches and Thanksgiving day broke cold but sunny, a perfect day to BBQ a turkey breast.

Hope you all had a good feast to start the holiday season.

November 14, 2021November 14, 2021

Seasonal Pantry

Not so long ago we started getting regular “harvest boxes” from a CSA style organization in Bend. Agriculture Connection has, for nearly a decade, been offering boxes with locally sourced produce. Unlike the typical CSA, the produce comes from many different area growers. This means offerings are a bit more diverse than a single farm could offer.

The seasonal nature of the produce has meant we are putting veggies in the fridge that normally wouldn’t be there. In the midst of a supply chain crisis this works in our favor. The grocery stores we normally shop have a smaller selection and poorer quality. The AG connection boxes are quality vegetables. There are the usual winter crops and there have been a few twists. The unique veggies force us to plan meals a bit differently.

For example, a recent box had a white cabbage that weighed in at 7 lbs. Life throws you cabbage … you make soup (recipe below). We have also gotten a lot of cold weather greens and more beets than we typically pick up. The greens, kale and collards, are something we buy, but haven’t found good selection in the produce section. As for the beets? Well JQ pickled a bunch and we’re enjoying them on salads and sandwiches.

The service is year-a-round, so we are looking forward to what Central Oregon farmers have growing during the winter months. I’m sure there will be interesting treats to fill our plates.

Print Recipe

Hearty Cabbage Soup

Ingredients

4 oz bacon cut into ¼ inch pieces
1 med onion, minced
1 Tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp minced fresh thyme
1/4 cup white wine
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups beef or vegetable broth
2 lbs cabbage, cored and cut into ¾ inch pieces
2-3 med potatoes cut into ¾ inch pieces
3 med carrots chopped
1 bay leaf

Instructions

Cook the bacon in a large dutch oven over medium heat until crisp and rendered, 5-7 minutes.
Stir in the onion and butter and cook until the onion is softened, 5-7 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds longer.
Stir in the wine, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer until nearly evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken and vegie broth, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a gentle simmer and cook until tender, about 25-30 minutes.
adjust seasoning ... add pepper

October 10, 2021October 9, 2021

Falling into fall

A gnarled western juniper thrives in the arid climate of the high desert

This week we continue to embrace the fall season with short road trips. We are taking advantage of the cool mornings and warm afternoons without smoke laden air.

At winter levels the Crooked River has exposed rock and weed beds.

One downside of the shift to winter is the river draw downs.

To get reservoirs back to capacity for the next irrigation season, dams on the upper Deschutes and Crooked river restrict flows, basically lowering river levels. The Crooked River is down to what seemed like a trickle and it’s water was too turbid to fish. However, that didn’t deter Tip from exploring.

The other activity was pizza baking … from scratch.

This Ooni is heated by gas but cooks more like a wood fired oven.

We’d picked up a gas pizza oven at the end of summer and have been playing with recipes. There is a bit more involved in making pizza, rather than heating up frozen or just carry out. There’s a learning curve and failed attempts, but we are starting to dial in the best cooking method and the last few pies have turned out great.

Scratch-made gives you a delicious pie with total control over the ingredients.

The Ooni oven will be great for other “wood fired” baking jobs. Flat bread is on the list to try.

For now, we’re working on tweeking dough recipes to fine tune our pizza crust, very important, as there are a surprising number of variations possible.

March 14, 2021March 10, 2021

With or Without Sprinkles

Wickiup Junction’s fresh donuts begin to run low by late morning. If we are lucky we can snag our favorite … Cinnamon Sugar Raised.

Many … perhaps too many road trips begin at a local landmark, Wickiup Junction to fuel our car and sweet tooth.

Fifty years ago a sporting goods store opened at the junction of Burgess road and Highway 97. For years it was the only general store in the La Pine area, but as the population grew it added a gas station and deli. It is after all on a major access route to the water ways and trails along the Cascade Highway and Upper Deschutes River.

A warm chocolate covered raised donut with a heavy sprinkle of chopped peanuts.

But the main reason to add Wickiup Junction to a trip itinerary is for the donuts.

We’re not sure when they started offering fresh baked goodies in addition to a well stocked cooler and deli, but it was a good move.

We’re kind of donut snobs, The word connoisseur doesn’t quite fit for this basic pastry, that said, we rarely miss an opportunity to try a new donut shop. Wickiup Junction is at the top of our list for now.

Wickiup does offer classic cake donuts … but for us Raised reign supreme.

Let’s talk raised just so we have a level field. In Portland there’s Blue Star (don’t even try to add VooDoo to a list) and Bend has Richard’s. Any of which are good morning pastry offerings.

However, hit Wickiup Junction, between 7 and 9 am and you’ll be able to get warm goodness that literally melts in the mouth.

Sometimes we manage to save our morning pastry to savor next to a fishing stream. Mugs of coffee in hand we are living our best life!

Our favorites are Cinnamon Sugar or Glazed, but really anything with maple frosting is delicious.

They do offer embellishments; chunks of candy, sprinkles and Hole-less rounds oozing custard or jelly.

But these only serve as distractions from a soft dough fried to an even golden brown featuring a slightly sweet flavor … and no greasy aftertaste.

September 27, 2020September 27, 2020

Seasonal journeys

In this house there is always fruit on the counter and in the fridge. We do play favorites and eat mostly to season. Winter is citrus, berries for Spring, Summer is stone fruit and Fall is all about apples and melons.

I think apples are my favorite for everyday eating. Thus we look forward to the fall and our annual trip to the orchards that line the hills around Hood River, Oregon. We make this pilgrimage pretty much every fall for the last dozen years and we always go to the same spot.

Kiyokawa Family Orchards (yeah, I don’t know how to pronounce it either) is about the only place we ever go. There are lots of different stands in the area, check out the Fruit Loop map and website. This place has a huge variety of apples, pears, and plums.

In the past it was a giant apple tasting. Due to current Covid circumstances, they have altered the buying experience a bit. The slices for tasting aren’t sitting on the bins of fruit. They also stopped individually weighing your purchases. Instead, you move through a well thought out social distancing maze, pick out either a box or bag, pay, then proceed to fill with fruit of your choice.

Winding your way past tubs of fruit, you can pick from all offerings, exiting near where you started, only now you have a box of apples and pears.

The only problem is trying to remember the different varieties and maintaining tasting notes so you can find the ones you like best next year.

– book note –

You should find a copy of Dan Rather’s recent book “What Unites Us”. A timely discussion on America, democracy and the fragile threads holding our nation together. We’ve been working through it a chapter at a time, reading it aloud to each other. Excellent book, sparking energetic discussion.