Bob's Red Mill and Multnomah Falls

Before we left our brief introductory visit to Portland, there was something I had to do.

 

See Bob's Red Mill. Aka a baking pilgrimage of sorts. A paradise of organic bulked goods and health food products for bakers and gluten intolerants.

My one bit of advice before going here, because you simply must someday, is to make a plan! I had no shopping or wish list beforehand, so I was a bit overwhelmed when I got there. This usually leads to 1) shopping with zero restraint whatsoever or 2) becoming paralyzed by indefinite options and buying basically nothing.

I spent a little over $6 and got two dog biscuits, 4 pounds of sea salt, a little over a pound of mixed soup beans, some black Hawaiian sea salt and some snackie sesame sticks. When I got to the car I thought 1) is that all I got? and 2) geez, I am boring.

Next time I will do things differently, include go to the production warehouse for the mill tour and not just the flagship store.

Still, seeing the store was thrilling and had some lovely surprises, like antique flour milling stones and an instant nut butter making machine.

If I see the real Bob playing piano next time, I will have died and gone to heaven. And I will want this to be my tombstone.

After my dad calmed me down from my breakfast sandwich on sprouted wheat and side of grits, we regained our focus and headed back on the road. We had a date with a massive year round waterfall less than 20 miles away.

Welcome to Multnomah Falls, the second highest waterfall in the country after Yosemite Falls.

And this is during the dry season. A picturesque lodge waits at the bottom, greeting hundreds of tourists throughout the day looking straight past it up to the mesmerizing falls.

There is nothing like starting a week with sensory overload.

Crossing State Lines

I'm on the road exploring the Pacific Northwest with my dad for the next week or so. Road trip! Adventure! I look forward to all this fall has to bring.

My first photographic specimen is of Roosevelt elk as we entered Redwood National Park. Around this time of year, a bull will gather with his own personal harem of a dozen or more lady elks. Here they gathered right off the roadside and didn't seem particularly camera shy.

But they are quick. Or my camera is slow. I just barely got the tips of this bull's antlers as he ducked behind the brush.

And this one got his head chopped off completely. I guess I'm not ready for National Geographic just yet.

At Redwood National Park, not to be confused with Humboldt Redwood State Park, trees grow under the most unusual conditions (or should I say, around?).

A short stroll left us feeling dwarfed- and we're not easy to impress with redwoods. Even with visits to Avenue of the Giants and Sequoia National Park, and Muir and Armstrong Woods in my backyard, this is easily the highest concentration of huge trees altogether.

Big Tree didn't seem that much bigger than all the other ones we passed.

Redwoods love sharing the same roots- this one base has grown three different trees.

We continued heading north and came to this funny tourist trap, "Trees of Mystery" just before we hit Oregon. My dad remembered seeing it as a kid, so I voted we pull over.

Hey, I thought this guy was from Wisconsin.

By evening, we arrived safely in Oregon and had a lovely seafood dinner at Gold Coast. Tomorrow, Portland and beyond!

Ode to Our State Bird

Crispy fried lemongrass quail with heirloom tomatoes, silken tofu and young black pepper, courtesy of chef Mark Malicki.

It's okay to be jealous.

An Overview of Jam Making

If you haven't been seeing so much of me these days, it's probably because I've been busy canning. That's right, Chuck and I have a new obsession, and when we aren't talking about it or doing it, we're thinking about it. As a newcomer to canning, this is the best time to be obsessed with it, as it's been peak season into next month.

For detailed recipes, fantastic directions and supplies, check out the Ball website, or better yet, get a Ball Blue Book guide to preserving.

I know you have a slew of mason jars lying around, so this is the chance to put them to work. Sterilize them in a pot of boiling water for several minutes, then store in a 200 degree oven while you wait for the mixture to be ready. Every recipe is different depending on the fruit, use of pectin, and total amount, so I'm not listing a specific recipe. You can adjust your recipe according to how much fruit you have, or just follow a recipe from the Book.

For our first jam, we used freshly picked blackberries. Mix pectin into sugar and add to the boiling mixture.

After the pectin is cooked, pour the jam to the top of the jars, leaving no gaping air space between the jar and the lip (it can affect the jam's shelf life). Use a clean cloth to wipe the brims, then place the cover on. (The quick wipe helps the vacuum.) Screw the lid until closed but not tight, and place in the pot of boiling water. We boiled for 15 minutes, according to our recipe. When you pull out the jars, the lids pop when they seal.

The only question is what to can next?

Curing Cast Iron

If you're like me, you love cast iron so much you want to see it treated the way it deserves- frequently and with respect. Nothing breaks my heart more than cast iron that sits in the back of the cupboard, never used.

I rescued one of these pans, a 4 1/2 quart dutch oven with handle. It wasn't in bad shape, but had never been seasoned properly.

I already have a newer "Lodge" mini cast iron (just right for frying a single egg). They are already seasoned for you, but I figured I'd give it another coat if I'm seasoning the dutch oven anyway.

Isn't it fantastic? It's amazing what some people don't want. I sanded off the rusty spots and scrubbed the pot out with soapy water (this is the only time to use soap- before you season it).

Then I dried it over the stove top and covered the entire surface with bacon grease, both inside and out.

Put into a 350 degree oven for at least an hour. The house will get a slight metallic smell to it specific to curing pans, but once you make that association, it's kind of a comforting smell. Turn off the oven and leave the cast iron in until completely cooled.

Once it is cured, do not use soap when cleaning. This improved a lot, but could probably use another seasoning at some point. Luckily the more you use, the better the seasoning. Maintained cast iron will last your lifetime and well into your grandchildren's.

I never knew what the numbers meant, since it was clearly not an 8 quart pot. I found a chart by PanMan, listing each model number and capacity.

There are zillions of cast iron enthusiasts out there, but a couple other sites I found with helpful info and recipes:

http://ramblingsoncastiron.blogspot.com/

http://blackirondude.blogspot.com/

http://www.chuckwagonsupply.com/

Another Vintage Picnic at Daisy's

Sometimes I wish I could buy a magazine company just so my friend, Daisy, could organize all the shoots, spreads, creative content and distribution of it. She just makes everything pretty.

To kickoff an especially great weekend, she hosted a gal party at the pond down the road from her house. I laughed and bonded in great company, with sunshine, music, food, and an invigorating swim across the pond to make me feel like an Olympian (with a floating noodle assist).

A preparty shot from Daisy

It really doesn't matter how pretty the place is, how classy the drinks or how artfully prepared the food is. Despite matching linens and handmade decor sewed fresh for the occasion, I know that at Daisy's place, I will always feel welcome and special.

Meyer lemon finished campagne from Della Fattoria with local cheeses.

Fresh cherries, apricots and raspberries with St. Germain cocktails.

And that was only the beginning of the weekend ...