Hood River Strawberries

As if I needed another reason to love Hood River. The soil around that city is very rich from Mt. Hood. There are all kinds of fruit orchards and fields in the area. These were my first strawberries from this area - and they are delicious!! So fresh, and wild - the flavour is outstandingly true.

My plan was to muddle these strawberries in a cocktail - I couldn't resist eating a small handful straight off. :) I did make a great cocktail - muddled strawberries, blueberries, cherries and a few leaves of basil (with a touch of sugar). I added like juice, then a big glug glug of tequila and some triple sec. Delicious!!

Shallots

Any French chef loves a good shallot! I used them a few ways tonight. 1) I chopped half a shallot and fried them to a crispy finish. These topped my steak. 2) I chopped half a shallot and sweated it over heat, then added a cup of heavy cream & reduced it in half. Then I added some Gorgonzola and pepper - this was the sauce for keith's steak. 3) I finely chopped a shallot and added it to red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, and a dash of habanero pepper sauce. This was for the raw oysters.

Pickled Golden Beets

I made a special dinner tonight for my husband. He started a new job today, so I treated him to a decadent dinner - NY strip steak smothered in a Gorgonzola cream sauce (just for him - my lactose intolerance makes this a meal just for him...my steak was covered in crispy shallots). As a side dish, I pickled some golden beets.

My darling husband was amazed that I pickled my own beets. I love how cooking impresses him. :) I peeled 3 golden beets and sliced them. In a pot, I put a mixture of red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, black peppercorns, salt, and brown sugar. I brought it to a boil and then tossed in the beets. They cooked for about 15 minutes until tender. They were delicious, tangy and tender!

Watermelon juice

Quintessentially summer - I love watermelon. Yet last summer I began juicing it for cocktails. Here's a big pitcher of fresh watermelon juice...the possibilities are endless!

Caprese skewers

I love this appetizer - so easy and fun. Alternate small fresh mozzarella balls with grape tomatoes and fresh basil. Drizzle with olive oil and a little salt and pepper and you have a perfect summer starter!

Cannon Beach

Today we wandered around Cannon Beach, OR. We walked along the beach and I desperately combed the sand for some fresh mussels. Closest I got was this huge claw.










After many photo ops near and around Haystack Rock, we grabbed lunch - Fish & Chips for me! Olive oil & vinegar for my salad, vinegar & ketchup for my fries, Amber Ale for my happiness.

Full Sail

We spent a day in Hood River and took a tour of the Full Sail Brewery. Fascinating process - beer making. So I simply had to get a sampler at the pub after the tour.

Mirror Pond

I was early to the airport, so I had to wait for Kate & Deb's plane to land. Good thing there was beer.