In the Pacific Northwest there is one fish that is King, and that fish is Salmon.  Whether you get it at your local Farmer’s Market, the Fisherman’s Terminal in Ballard, from the flying fish guys at Pike Place Market or you catch it yourself, Salmon is best here in the Northwest.  Summertime is the perfect time of year for putting our local fishy royalty on the grill.  And there isn’t a recipe that is easier than this.

To take it up another notch without complicating things, you can throw the salmon on to a Cedar Plank (you can find these online and in some local grocery stores like Metropolitan Markets, PCC & Thriftway).

Cedar Planking gives the Salmon a rich, delicious smoky flavor and it really could not be simpler.  A few tips before you get started:

• Make sure that the wood you are using is Food Safe – a Cedar Shingle from the hardware store is loaded with industry chemicals that can make you very sick
• Soak the Cedar Plank for at least 3 hours in salted water before you plan on using it
• Use fresh Salmon – check out your local fish market, the fresher the better
• Keep the skin on the Salmon, it helps make it easier to remove the Salmon from the plank

Cedar Plank Salmon
This recipe can easily be doubled

• 1 Cedar Plank
• 1 lb Salmon, skin on, cut into fillets
• 1 Orange, cut into round slices, then halved
• 1 Red Onion, cut into round slices, then halved
• 5-6 sprigs of fresh Rosemary
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper, coarsely ground
• 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Red Chili Flake or Chili Threads

Soak your Cedar Plank for at least 3 hours in salted water (Just enough salt in the water so that you can taste it, all it really is there to do is help season the fish during grilling).
Pull the Cedar Plank out of the water soak and lay the Salmon, skin side down, on the plank.  Place half a slice of Orange and Red Onion in between each piece of Salmon, followed by a sprig of Rosemary.
Now to season it: Drizzle the Olive Oil over the top, followed by the Black Pepper, Salt and Chili.  Set this aside and get your grill ready.
You will be grilling over a medium high heat setting.  If you have a gas grill simply turn your dial to Medium-High.  For Charcoal, get your coals ready and hold your hand over the center of the flame about 6″ above the actual grill, if you can comfortably leave your hand there for about 7-8 seconds your coals are ready.

Now the simplest part – stick the planks on the grill, put the lid on the grill, wait 20-25 minutes and they are done.
Tip: Do not keep opening up the grill to check on the fish.  You will lose all the delicious smoke that has built up in the grill and your fish won’t get that nice smoky flavor.

I like to use the boards to serve the fish, either put them on a platter, baking sheet or piece of foil to prevent the scorched underside from leaving any marks on tabletops.  Enjoy!

Full disclosure: I have received no compensation from PCC , Metropolitan Market, Thriftway or any other organizations mentioned for this article.

Here’s a place worth the trip across the West Seattle Bridge to come for a visit.  Fresh Bistro, an Herban Feast Restaurant, pulls together some of the freshest tastes of the Northwest and creates mouth watering fabulous dishes to satiate even the most discerning of palettes.

Last month I went with my friend Olivia for dinner.  The next day I found out that I had Pancreatitis, for some unknown reason – unrelated to eating out, and I was put on a clear liquid diet for 2 weeks.  That dinner at Fresh Bistro was my last meal of solid food, and it goes without saying that everyday I sipped broth and apple juice I was dreaming of the delightful fresh tastes served up to me that night.

So let’s fast forward a few weeks, I’m finally back to eating chewable food.  Joy of joys!  And the first place I want to re-visit is Fresh Bistro.  I had 2 liquid weeks daydreaming of Pork Belly Bahn Mi, melt in your mouth Wagyu Beef, crisp Salads with tangy “vinny” and sous vide egg.  To celebrate solid food my friend Cristie invited my niece and I to come to lunch with her. She kindly let me choose our lunchtime destination.  Without a moment’s hestitation I blurted out “Fresh Bistro!” And so, off to Fresh Bistro we went.

Fresh Bistro is located in the Mural Apartments Building, on the first floor,  in West Seattle at the Alaska Junction.  It’s street parking or you can use the underground parking across the street.  The interior is earthy, classy and festooned with lush sustainable furniture, like their uniquely gorgeous Sorghum wood tables for inside dining.

Their lunch menu is nice and is reasonably priced.  The service is impeccable.  The two times that I have been we have had the pleasure of being waited on by the new Front of the House Manager Robroy Chalmers (who is also a local artist whose work graces the walls in the restaurant)  They have a knack for making you feel welcomed and special, and the staff is knowledgeable of the foods and drinks that they serve.

Speaking of drinks… you must try one of their seasonal signature drinks, complex and complimentary flavors.  For as ambitious as they are, it pays off big time.  Refreshing, interesting and delicious to sip.  And don’t worry if you do not imbibe as they have a few special concoctions beyond the tired old Shirley Temple to tickle your taste buds so be sure to ask about their non-alcoholic offerings as well.

Now let’s get to the food shall we?
We’ll start with the appetizers.  First off we had Sweet Potato Crab Cakes.  A crunchy exterior that yielded to a creamy inside where the flavors of crab and sweet potato melded with perfection.  It was topped with a smoky chipotle remoulade that finished off the bite nicely.

Next up for appetizers we tried the Shiso Crusted Prawns.  When it arrived at the table we all gasped at the beautiful presentation.  The Prawns were enormous, with a crispy breading infused with chopped shiso leaf.  They were topped with an ethereal sriracha foam and complimented by a green mango pickle.  A savory, delicious bite tickled with the sweetness of the briny Prawn and a slight whisper of sriracha.  These were my absolute favorite.

Once we devoured the appetizers our lunch plates came out in a timely fashion.  I ordered the Mexican Lunch Combo featuring tender Halibut Tacos, refried black beans, avocado corn salsa and spiced rice. The highlights for me were the perfectly cooked Halibut and the tangy-sweet red onion pickle.

My niece ordered the Asian Lunch Combo which consisted of Pork Belly Bahn Mi, an Asparagus Soup with a Curried Goat Cheese Cannelle and an Asian inspired salad.  She enjoyed the soup so much she could not put down her spoon.   When she took a bite of the Pork Belly Bahn Mi all we could hear was “Mmmmm” in between chews with her eyes blissfully closed enjoying every single bite.  Perfect layers of melt in your mouth pork, foie mayo, decadent fried egg with crisp carrot pickle, crunchy cucumber, fresh cilantro and basil.

My friend had the Bistro Lunch Combo, with a Wagyu Beef French Dip, Mussels and a tarragon vin loaded Bistro Salad topped with a gorgeously poached egg.  Let me just say this, I am not and never have been a fan of Mussels.  I find them to be very strong and offputting, but the mussels prepared at Fresh Bistro have changed my mind.  They are absolute perfection, I loved them.  Sweet mild Mussels in a butter broth that are heightened by a touch of rich landjaeger lardon made for a perfectly well balanced bite.  I would order them again and again.

Lastly we moved on to dessert where we shared plates of Banana Pretzel Fritters with Homemade Nutella dipping sauce.  It was like a donut and a loaf of banana bread had a baby and wrapped it in swaddling pretzels.  Quite delicious and a generous portion to share.

We also ordered up a dessert that I had right before I was relegated to a liquid diet.  This dessert haunted me, it was so absolutely delicious that I had to get it again. A Pistachio Financier with a brandied Cherry Coulis and this absolutely divine Mascarpone Orange Blossom Cream on top.  It is a fresh tasting dessert that is not at all heavy on the sweet side.  It is just sweet enough to keep you coming back at it.

Overall it was a splendid lunch, spent with great people including the personable staff at Fresh Bistro.  Would I go back?  Yes, yes, 1000 times yes.

Check them out for their special weekly Seafood Boils and Steak Nights. Reservations are highly recommended.
Also keep in mind that Fresh Bistro changes up their menu to coincide with the changes in local and seasonal produce.  So go enjoy the taste of fresh ingredients at their peak, masterfully put together into a delicious bite that will make your tummy happy.

Fresh Bistro
4725 42nd Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98116
206-935-3733

Hours
Mon – Thur: 11am – 10pm
Fri: 11am – 11pm
Sat: 9am – 3pm | 5pm – 11pm
Sun: 9am – 3pm

Happy Hour
Mon – Thur: 4pm – 6pm | 9pm – 10pm
Fri: 4pm – 6pm | 9pm – 11pm
Sat: 9pm – 11pm

Full disclosure: I have received no compensation from Fresh Bistro , Herban Feast or any other organizations mentioned for this article.

Yesterday I went out with my friend Cristie of ThirstQuest on her boat to enjoy a bit of pre-Seafair action to watch the Blue Angels practice over Lake Washington.   I wanted to bring along something for everyone on the boat to snack on that was portable, easy and delicious. 

Every other week we have friends over for a night of playing games and snacks.  On our last gaming night I made up a batch of Herbed Mixed Nuts that were a big hit with everyone, so I thought… Hey, I’ll make another batch of those nuts!

The big running joke ever since then has been “You’re gunna love my nuts” and really… everyone will love your nuts.  These nuts are delicious and easy as pie to prepare.   They are also an awesome portable snack and an extra bonus is that this recipe is gluten free and vegan friendly!! Make a big batch as they go fast!  If you are interested in a drink that celebrates Seafair and the Blue Angels you really have to go check out ThirstQuest’s Seafair LemonBlueaid, so refreshing and a perfect pair with this recipe.  Just in time for your Seafair enjoyment, be safe out there and have a great time Seattle!

Herb Mixed Nuts

• 1 cup Raw Almonds
• 1 cup Raw Pecans
• 1 cup Raw Cashews
• 1 cup Raw Hazelnuts
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons fresh Rosemary, chopped or whole leaves – your preference
• 1/2 Teaspoon Coarse Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 Teaspoon Red Chili Flake
• 1 Teaspoon Demerara Sugar (sub Light Brown Sugar)
• 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• Optional Add In: 1 Tablespoon Shaved Black Truffle

Over medium heat add everything into a large frying pan, Toss to coat the nuts completely with the oil and spice mixture.  Stirring constantly for about 7-10 minutes or just until the nuts are toasted. You will want to keep turning and stirring the nuts to prevent scorching or burning the nuts.  Once they are done put them in a bowl or a simple brown paper bag and they are done.  If you want to make them a little extra special you can shave a little Black Truffle over them while they are still warm.

A good indicator that your nuts are ready are the cashews.  Their light color will show you how far along the toasting process is.  Keep in mind that even when you take the nuts off the heat they will continue to keep on toasting, so take them off when you achieve a very light toast.

You will want to use RAW nuts for this recipe.  You can find those at PCC Natural Markets and at other places like Trader Joes.  The reason for the Raw Nuts is already toasted nuts will taste bitter and burnt, Raw Nuts will yield sweet, crunchy and nutty bites that will keep your hands dipping back into the snack bowl or bag.

Full disclosure: I have received no compensation from Trader Joes, Blue Angels,  Seafair or PCC Natural Markets for this article.

A couple weeks ago I was invited by Stocker Farms to come out and pick some of their Early Blues variety of Blueberry at their Mountain View Blueberry Farms, before they opened to the public.  So I called up my friend Cristie (the Master Mixologist behind ThirstQuest) and asked her if she’d like to head out in the early morning to go pick some blueberries with me.  We headed out early, while the morning mists were still rising from the farmlands and fields in the Snohomish River area.  We arrived and we picked.  And we picked and we picked.  Between the two of us and a couple hours of picking we ended up with 18 pounds of Blueberries.

We also decided to head over to Stocker Farms Red Barn to pick up some Sunflower Honey and check on what other local produce offerings they had in store for us.  Mounds of Sweet Bing Cherries, glowing Golden Rainier Cherries, 1/2 flats of mixed Raspberries and Blueberries and punnets of the most delicious little Strawberries I’ve tasted all year.  So it wasn’t enough that I had 9 pounds of Blueberries, I had to pick up some Strawberries and Raspberries as well.

So when I got home and started looking at all these berries I started wondering what could I do with them all.  Pancakes, Cobblers, Crisps, Muffins, Scones, Ice Cream, Syrup, simply fresh out of the bowl… there were many days of berry enjoyment ahead to be certain.  The only problem with fresh berries is that they do not keep forever, and once a few days had escaped me I found that I still had an abundance of berries at hand and something needed to be made before they turned into penicillin.

That’s when it hit me… JAM!  Why didn’t I think of this before!?  I’ll make a bunch of berry jam and mix all the berry together for a taste that will be an explosion of summer sweetness in your mouth.  So I took my Blueberries, Raspberries and Strawberries and prepped them for the pot.  Now I’m an old fashioned girl, I like to make my berry jams without Pectin.  Why?  It’s because my Great Grandmother did it that way and her jams were spectacular.  The fruits were thick and caramelized with deep layers of flavor.  And it couldn’t be easier, no fussing with adding in things at the right time or risk screwing up your entire batch.  Just add everything in a pot, stir, boil down and stick it in a jam pot.  Done and delicious.

Summer Berry Jam

• 4 Cups Berries (Blueberry, Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackberry – any combination)
• 3 1/2 Cups Organic Cane Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 1/2 Lemon
• Pinch of Salt

Prep your berries by washing them.  Hull and quarter strawberries, others leave whole.  Put them into a large stock pot, add the Sugar and Vanilla and stir them all to combine.  Squeeze the lemon juice into the pot and toss the squeezed lemon in with the berries, add cinnamon stick and pinch of salt.  Stir again to combine, the berries should start releasing their juice and making the Sugar wet.

Place the pot on the stove set at Medium heat.  Stir it a couple of times, letting it roll to a slow boil while keeping an eye on it just until the mixture starts to foam.  Now turn it down to Medium-Low heat and simmer while stirring occassionally.  Your berries will go from a stage of a watery syrup like consistency with foam to a thicker syrup with less foam.  When you start seeing the foam disappear (about 20 minutes into the cooking) remove your lemon from the pot.

Now you will want to really watch the pot, stirring constantly to prevent it from scorching for about another 20-25 minutes, the stirring also helps to break up the fruit even more.  The surface of the jam will go from a glassy shiny surface to a satiny sheen on the surface, this means you are close to finished.  You can test the gel of your jam by putting some of the juice from the pot on to a saucer and sticking it in the fridge, take it out after a couple minutes and if it looks like jelly or jam and you can drag your finger through it and it doesn’t run back together you are finished.  Another method is to put a metal spoon into the juice and pull it out and if the mixture slowly sheets off the spoon leaving a thin covering of juice behind, rather than just quickly drizzling off leaving a bare spoon… you are ready.
Total cooking time is about 45-60 minutes depending on the juiciness and types of berries you mix together.

You can put the jam up into jars and use a water bath method to preserve it longer.  It keeps well in the fridge or freezer as well.

Berry Picking News Flash
Mountain View Blueberry Farms is open to the public starting today with their Big Blues ripe for the picking. Blue Rays and Concords!
No pets
Keep kids with you at all times
Cash only
Gates open at 8am, do not arrive before 8am – gates close at 5pm
Closed on Mondays – Open Tuesday through Sunday
617 E. Lowell-Larimer Road
Snohomish, WA 98296
(360) 668-3391 for recorded message

Full disclosure: I have received no compensation from Stocker Farms or Mountainview Blueberry Farms for this article.
Images by Kelly Cline ©2010 All Rights Reserved

Warning: Sprinkles, Edible Glitter, Pink Frosting and Cupcakes ahead! Every Summer my Niece comes out to hang out with me for a couple weeks.  We always have a blast together.  Along with the fun I’m always looking for ways to teach her new things, while trying to keep it a good time.

We have many things in common, one of them being a love for the almighty Cupcake.  Usually, we make it a point to head up to our neighborhood Cupcake Royale or another little cafe across the street called Coffee to a Tea, which also houses the Sugar Rush Bakery, to have ourselves a cup of Joe and a couple tastings of the mini Cupcakes.  Since we didn’t get around to our usual trip, I had an idea while watching Cupcake Wars on Food Network.  Why not have a friendly “Cupcake-Off” right here at home?

So I ran the idea past her and it turns out that one of her favorite things to make is Cupcakes.  We decided on a single basic batch of Yellow Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting as our base.  We divided the Yellow Cake batter in half, then each of us took a half and divided that into thirds.  We did the same thing with the Cream Cheese Frosting.  Our end goal – to each create 2 Cupcakes in 3 flavors  with a tasty frosting to go with it, for a total of 6 Cupcakes each.

We ransacked my pantry for cupcake decorations, dried fruits, food coloring and flavorings and came up with quite an impressive selection of possibilities.  We then set to work creating our masterpieces.

The great thing about this little project was not just the fun of it, but that I was able to teach her a little bit about the science of baking.  As we worked at our stations side by side, we talked about the limits of adding too much liquid or dry ingredients to the base batter and that the outcome could mean a crumbly dry Cupcake or a soggy Cupcake.  We talked about flavor combinations, what tastes good with what and what doesn’t.  I  let her just discover the flavors and make her own choices about how she wanted her Cupcakes to taste, it was a really fun experience for the both of us.  Creativity never tasted so good!

Some of the flavors we came up with were: Lime, Honey & Ginger – Lemon & Saffron – Cinnamon Maple Rum – Dark Chocolate Nutella – Cinnamon, Coffee & Chocolate – Coconut, Lime & Rum

This is a really great activity to do as a couple, with friends and especially with the kids.  It doesn’t take that long to put together.  You can use store bought boxed cake mix and frosting if you want to and the prep will go even faster.   Here’s a partial list of things to get you started:

Cupcake Decoration Ideas

• Dried Fruits (whole or sliced into slivers) – mango, pineapple, papaya, raisins, dried cranberries, banana chips, etc
• Candy Pieces – chocolate chips or  the hard candy shell kind with centers of chocolate, peanut butter or mint
• Color Sugar – available at most grocery stores in a rainbow of colors
• Edible Glitter – available at specialty shops and online
• Dragees/Edible Pearls – available at some grocery stores, specialty shops and online
• Nonpareils, Jimmies, Sprinkles & Hundreds-and-Thousands – little sugar based decorations that come in all shapes
• Savory – herb sprigs, sea salt and chili
• Citrus – Zest or lemon, lime or orange peels

Cupcake & Frosting Flavorings

• Spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, pepper, chili, ginger, etc.
• Flavorings – vanilla, rum, almond, lemon, etc.
• Fresh Citrus – Juice and/or zest of lemons, limes, and oranges
• Nuts – pistachio, coconut, peanut, almond, pecan, walnut, etc.

Useful Things

• Spatula or knife to spread frosting
• Piping Bag with decorating tip (you can find these in most grocery stores near the cake decorating supplies)
• Apron
• Cupcake papers

It is best to set everything out that is “up for grabs” within reach and view.  It makes coming up with creative flavors much more inspiring.

Basic Yellow Cake Base

• 2 cups Flour, all purpose
• 2 1/4 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 2/3 cup Butter, unsalted, softened to room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 large eggs
• 2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 325º.  Mix together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Set aside
Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl until light creamy and fluffy.  Add in your eggs one at a time, beating between each one until well combined.  Slowly add in the dry ingredients, alternating with a little bit of the milk at a time (this alternating method helps create a smooth batter).

In a muffin pan, line it with paper baking cups or lightly grease and flour them.  Fill baking cups to 2/3 full.

325º degrees for 14-17 minutes, let them cool completely before frosting.  Yield should be about 12-14 Cupcakes
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8oz brick of Cream Cheese
4 Tablespoons Butter
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Pinch of Salt
2 1/4 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted

Combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt and mix until creamy.  Add in Powdered Sugar 1/2 cup at a time until it reaches a consistency you like.

Tips for making your own flavors for cupcakes & frosting:

• Divide the batter or frosting into small batches.
• Add flavors, colors and additional ingredients a little at a time.  It’s easier to add more flavor in than to take flavor out.
• When adding in flavored dry ingredients to the batter, you may need to add in an egg yolk or a little splash of water to keep the consistency right.
• When adding in flavored wet ingredients to the batter, you may need to add in an extra teaspoon of flour so the batter is not runny.
• When adding in flavored dry ingredients to the frosting, you may need to add a splash of milk/water/coconut milk/soy milk to loosen it up to be spreadable.
• When adding in flavored wet ingredients to the frosting, you may need to add back in a little more powdered sugar to firm it back up.
• Don’t be afraid to experiment, have fun and encourage each others creativity!

Bow down & be humble before the overall taste winner (Cinnamon Maple Rum with Vanilla Bean Frosting) – The Almighty Princess Cupcake by my niece TC.

Full Disclosure: I have received NO compensation from Coffee to a Tea, Cupcake Royale or Food Network for the mentions in this article.
Images by Kelly Cline ©2010 All Rights Reserved

Summer is that magical time of year that heralds the arrival of colorful, plump and delicious berries.  There is no way in the world that I could just pick one single berry as my favorite.  I love them all, each with their own unique flavor profile that dances delightfully on my tastebuds.  Right now your local area Farmer’s Markets are offering up these sweet little treasures.  Summer is the best time of year to enjoy their nommy goodness, so make it a plan this weekend to visit a Farmer’s Market – I’ve even put together a list for you.

I’m going to step back in time a bit to share a berry memory.  I grew up in Puyallup, home of Daffodils, U-Pick Berry Farms and little unattended roadside Farmer’s stands – the kind that had an old MJB coffee can to hold the money and your honor to pay for that forearm sized zucchini.  I also grew up in the 70′s with gas lines stretching for blocks, job shortages combined with  a recession meaning trouble for a lot of folks.  Our family was no different and my Father ended up out of work.

With my Dad tirelessly looking for work and struggling to find anything, my Mom went job seeking  to help and found work at Valley Packers, working the conveyor line sorting out the cruddy berries from the good ones.  She used to wear this heavy white rubber apron that she would scrub down every night.  It was stained red with the berry juices and I LOVED the way it smelled, I know… I’m weird.  Every once in a while she would slip a couple  super plump, super sweet berries in the apron pocket at the end of her shift and bring them home as a little treat for my Brother and me.   This is my first memories of the taste of berries and I haven’t found a berry as sweet as they were back then.

So I managed to pick up 4 different kinds of berries and as I was standing at my kitchen counter sorting through them I absentmindedly put my finger to my nose and inhaled… I was 5 again and picturing my Mom in that red stained white apron gathering us around close with her hands behind her back while we eagerly awaited the reveal of what sweet little treasure she had to share with us.  So this recipe is for my Mom… sweet, a teeny bit tart, a little crusty around the edges and all put together…. absolutely beautiful.

Recipe notes: If you don’t have all 4 varieties of berries you can mix and match, or make this with just one kind of berry as long as the measurement is the same.  And also… don’t be frightened of the Black Pepper as a spice, it plays beautifully with berry fruits.

Crispy Berry Crumble

Preheat oven to 350º
Filling

• 1 Cup of each – Strawberry (quartered), Blueberry, Raspberry & Blackberry
• 1 1/2 Cups White Sugar
• 1/3 Cup Flour – All Purpose
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cornstarch
• 1 Vanilla Bean (insides scraped out) or 1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper – finely ground
• Zest of 1/2 Lemon
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon

Combine and mix together in a large bowl, being careful to not crush the berries too much.  When thoroughly mixed pour into an 8″x13″ baking dish – or something close – the fruit filling should fill the baking pan 1/2 way up the side, do not overfill the pan as it will result in spillover during the baking process.

Crumble Topping

• 1 1/2 Cups Light Brown Sugar
• 1 Cup Flour – All Purpose
• 1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
• 1/2 Cup Slivered Almonds
• 3/4 Cup Butter – unsalted, cold and cut into 1/2″ cubes
• 1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• Pinch of Salt

Put everything into a large bowl and using either a pastry cutter or your hands, start mixing until the butter is incorporated.  Do not use a food processor as it will pulverize the oats and almonds leaving this topping with an unpleasant graininess. You will know the topping is ready when you can pinch a large finger full and it holds together.

Final Assembly and Baking
Using your hands start sprinkling the topping mixture over the berries you’ve poured in your baking pan.  The ideal thickness is about 1/2″ to 3/4″, you are likely to have a little leftover topping, so save this for topping your next batch of muffins.
Place the baking pan into your 350º oven and bake for 45 minutes, until the top is a nice toasty brown and the edges of the topping have bubbling fruit peeking out.

Let it cool down for about 15 minutes.  Then when you can comfortably (and carefully!) touch the side of the baking pan for 5 seconds, it is ready to be served warm.  Top it with fresh whip cream or a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.

U-PICK NEWS!
Wanna pick your own Strawberries?  I just got notification from the folks at Stocker Farms that their U-Pick Strawberry Field is open!
Located at  8203 Marsh Road, Snohomish WA 98296
1 mile West of Highway 9 or 1 mile East from the bottom of Seattle Hill Road
Look for the yellow building to the North of Marsh Road.
U-Pick is open from 10am to 4pm Tuesday through Sunday
Price per pound for Strawberries is $1.80
No pets
For more information visit Stocker Farms website.

Full disclosure: I have received no compensation from Stocker Farms for this article.
Images by Kelly Cline ©2010 All Rights Reserved

Have you heard of Halloumi? It’s a wonderful semi-hard sheep and/or goat’s milk cheese from Cypress, that has a high melting point. Which means that you can put it right on the grill and grill it or fry it in a fry pan. PERFECT for Summer!

Halloumi is very salty, so a little goes a long way. You can marinate it with olive oil and herbs or purchase it already marinated. It pairs really well with Summer fruits like watermelon, peaches and strawberries.

I put together a little salad combining the tastes of Summer and Halloumi Cheese. This salad is so delicious and the crunchy, salty Halloumi is a perfect briny bite that compliments the sweet Summery melon. It also travels well, you can cook it up ahead of time and take it to one of the many beautiful public picnic parks in Seattle, or anywhere for that matter,  for a delicious, healthy picnic treat. Places around Seattle that carry it are Metropolitan Markets and Big John’s PFI.

Grilled Halloumi Cheese Salad

• 1 8 ounce brick of Halloumi Cheese- Cut into 1/4″ Slices – Marinated (See recipe below)
• 4 Cups Baby Spinach, washed
• 1 Cup Seedless Watermelon, cut into 3/4″ cubes
• 1/2 Teaspoon Chive Flowers or Chopped Chives
• 6 Kalamata Olives, pitted and quartered
• 8-10 Fresh Mint Leaves – cut as Chiffonade or thin strips
• Honey Balsamic Dressing (see recipe below)

If you did not purchase already marinated Halloumi, prepare the marinade as listed int he recipe below and let it rest for 4 hours or overnight.  If you purchased Marinated Halloumi then proceed without waiting.
Make sure that you grill is not too hot.  You may use a fry pan or a BBQ grill.  The heat should be around medium, on a grill, you should be able to hold your hand over the center of the coals for about 7-8 seconds without discomfort and that’s when you know the temperature is right.

Place the Halloumi on the grill, and just toast it until it is golden brown on both sides.  Set aside.

Assemble the rest of the salad ingredients as listed above, give it a toss and put a heap of salad on each plate and top it with one or two slices of your grilled Halloumi Cheese.

You can Garnish with a little additional dressing and mint leaves if you desire.

Marinated Halloumi

• 1 8 ounce brick of Halloumi Cheese- Cut into 1/4″ Slices
• 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon Fresh Oregano, or dried if you don’t have fresh
• 1/8 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
• Optional – Pinch of whole Peppercorns
• Optional – Pinch of Chive Flowers or Chopped Chives

Combine the above ingredients and let it rest covered for 4 hours or overnight.  Very important!!! – DO NOT ADD SALT!  This cheese is very salty and you will not need to add any salt.

Honey Pepper Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 1/4 Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 Tablespoons Honey
• 1/8 teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Water

Put in a small bowl and whisk together and use.

Today it was the lowest tide it will be all year, so we went on down to the area of Alki Beach near Mee-Kwa-Moos Park (which is one of the most awesome places in Seattle to view the sunset)  to have a peek at skittering baby crabs, spurting clam holes and tickle some anemones in the tide pools.  It was an absolutely beautiful day for a little beach exploration, but it left me not only hungry but also pretty worn out and not wanting to go all crazy preparing an elaborate dinner.

While it’s nice to be able to make everything from scratch, there are just times when that is not a possibility.  This recipe is PERFECT for those times.   It also has the added benefit that you know every ingredient that is going onto your pizza and you don’t have to tip the delivery guy.  Store bought crusts do fine in a pinch, but if you are so inclined you can make your own pizza crust dough and use it.  Just be sure to pre-bake them for this recipe, as the fresh mozzarella has a tendency to make the center soggy with a crust that is not pre-baked.

And so with a quick peek through my pantry  I found a couple pre-baked pizza shells and I was struck with inspiration!  I had some nice juicy heirloom tomatoes, fresh Arugula we picked up at the market along with some fresh Mozzarella and a couple left over slices of cooked Hempler’s Bacon so a BLT Pizza seemed to be the next logical step.  Here you go… 15 minutes to nommy nom deliciousness!

15 Minute BLT Pizza

• 2 – small sized Pre-Baked Pizza Crusts or 1 large
• 1/2 Cup Pizza Sauce (see below)
• 2 ovalini sized balls of Fresh Mozzerella (sliced very thin)
• 1 Tomato, sliced thin
• 2 slices of Bacon, cooked & roughly chopped
• 2 Cups Fresh Arugula
• 1/8 Cup Parmesan Cheese, shaved
• Salt & Pepper to Taste
• Olive Oil, to drizzle

Preheat the oven to 425° F.  If you are doing two small pizzas at once layer them side by side to make sure that you evenly distribute the ingredients between them, if you are doing one big one just layer it all on as follow:  Crust, Sauce, Cheese Slices, Tomato Slices and Bacon Crumbles

Bake in the oven for 10-13 minutes, just until the cheese it starting to bubble and brown at the edges.  Remove from the oven and top it with the Arugula, Parmesan Shavings, Salt and Pepper.  Drizzle your favorite Olive Oil on top as the finishing touch.

Now sit back and enjoy your evening!

This is a great recipe to have the kids help you make!

Quick Pizza Sauce

• 1 small can of Tomato Paste
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon dried Oregano
• 1 Teaspoon Water
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

Mix together and use. This will keep up to a week tightly covered and stored in the refrigerator.

Full disclosure: I have received no compensation from Hempler for this article. I like several different brands of bacon, Hempler’s happens to be what I had on hand and I like to give props to local products that I enjoy.
Images by Kelly Cline ©2010 All Rights Reserved

If you can't get to New Orleans, bring New Orleans to you with my recipe for homemade traditional style Shrimp Po Boy or Eat at Joe's!

I have many wonderful memories specifically tied to the scents and tastes of certain foods.  So many to share, but for now I will just share my latest trip down a food filled Memory Lane.  This will require us to travel back in time to the Summer of ’08 and the journey of a lifetime that traversed over 7,000 miles across America.

We had always joked about getting in a car and driving to Florida, I never thought the day would come when we would actually do it.  Tom Waits was performing and the closest tickets we could get were in Jacksonville.  Jacksonville, Florida.  And so the master plan began to unfold, we would drive straight to Florida and back.  Little did we know Mother Nature would have a say in the route we took to get there.

Turns out that the route we had planned on was being hit hard with the Midwestern floods, in fact several of our Highway routes were closed off due to the flooding.  Add to that our last leg of Kansas into Oklahoma was driven trying to outrun the giant black thunderhead cloud that was dropping tornadoes left and right.  When we arrived in Oklahoma we were shaken by the high winds, lightning and hail… and the hotel reception desk didn’t ease our worries any further as they told us about their tornado alarms and how to get to the storm cellar… which was just beyond the “All-You-Can-Eat Breakfast Buffet”, which we could enjoy if we survived the night.  Awesome.

After staying glued to the satellite radio and keeping it only on the Weather Station we ended up heading straight south and into Texas.  I will just say now that I will not ever complain about Seattle drivers after experiencing a rush hour drive through Dallas/Fort Worth.  We pushed on for Louisiana, and as night fell we asked our trusty GPS to guide us to a night of rest in the swamplands.  Our hotel was hot.  It was humid.  It smelled like it too.  So while we were there and looking over the map I made the executive decision to make a stop off in New Orleans and have a couple days of rest and relaxation from the road.  This decision turned into one of the most memorable highlights of our trip.

We splurged on a room on Bourbon Street with a private balcony overlloking the courtyard where the sounds of Jazz blew in & lingered like ghosts in the early evening.

After many consecutive nights in different towns sleeping in a different flea bag hotel each night I had decided that we deserved to splurge while in New Orleans, so I booked us a room at the Royal Hotel Sonesta.  The location was perfect, in the heart of the French Quarter right on Bourbon Street.  Walking out on our balcony the soft sounds of live Jazz being played in the bars and on the street wafted up piggyback on the scents of crunchy Softshelled Crab, spicy Gumbo chock full of Andouille and succulent blackened Redfish.  We ate.  And we ate.  And when we were done eating we ate some more.

Memories of the road, alligators inspecting toes to nibble, neon green Louisiana swamps and so much more!

On our last night it had occurred to us that we had not had a Po Boy sandwich!  So we called down to the front desk, we were determined to have Po Boys despite the fact that we could hardly swallow air let alone a giant sandwich.  Room service was closed for the night but they informed us that we could call up the Alibi Room, who had a late night menu and might deliver.  So we called… and they delivered, and despite not having the room to stuff our faces, stuff our faces we did.  The best food we had that whole trip was in New Orleans.  Our brief visit in Lousiana left us with full tummies, memories of sipping Mint Juleps on Bourbon Street, Alligators wanting to snack on our toes, the gorgeous Tabasco Plantation and a longing to return.

After many days on the road, and one too many gas station coffee stops, we were ready for our beautiful Seattle.  Coming home after watching 7,000 miles of flat heartlands, swamps, ghettos, deserts, and towns you’d miss if you blinked while passing through… we longed for the lush hilly forests and jade green waters of Seattle.  Coming home has never felt so good.

Coffee and a new Endolyne Joe's menu featuring New Orleans

Home is where the heart is.
So why all the reminiscing about New Orleans?  That’s a good question, and I’ll tell you right now.  There’s a little place tucked up near the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal in West Seattle, it’s called Endolyne Joe’s.  They run a scratch kitchen and change out their menu every three months to fit a theme.  I took my Guy and my Assistant out for breakfast  because they have the BEST Biscuits & Gravy in town!  Well, I walked in and I noticed that the theme changed to New Orleans… be still my beating heart!

Absinthe Art and Chandeliers at Endolyne Joe's

Endolyne Joe’s doesn’t just change the menu, but they change the decor as well.  Staff paints pictures  and doctors up the place inspired by the theme.  When I say they have a scratch kitchen, that is to say they make everything from scratch right there in the exhibition kitchen.  Don’t come expecting Haute Cuisine.  The food is not fancy, it’s homey and it’s wonderful.  You can actually taste the love in every bite.

Our server Jake greets us with warm smiles & piping hot Caffee Vita coffee

The people who work there are great.  I’ve never had bad service in all the years I’ve been eating there, even when they are slammed they go out of their way to be attentive to their customers.  When you eat here it feels like you are eating at home.  Charming mismatched wooden tables and chairs and worn hardwood floors add to the warmth of the service.  If you’ve been and you’ve seen them on an off night, give them another chance, let them know and they will bend over backwards to see that you are happy.  They are good people making good food.

Travis makes the Andouille Sausage in house at Endolyne Joe's & they are put to good use on this mouth watering Andouille Po Boy with Creole Seasoned Frites.

Along with our breakfast I ordered up an Andouille Po Boy.  I hadn’t planned on it until our server Jake told us that the Chef, Travis, makes the Andouille in house.  Well, of course I had to try that!!!  When it came to the table all splayed open with glistening grilled pieces of sausage laid out on a bed of lettuce we all had to take a bite.  I have to say that it was one of the best Andouille Sausages that I have ever put in my mouth, and I’ve tasted the real deal in New Orleans… Endolyne Joe’s has got it down.  Eating at  Joe’s is like coming home from a long trip away, the people care that you’ve come back and they treat and feed you well.

I was sent home, taking a trip down memory lane.  The scents and sounds of New Orleans.  That last Po Boy our last night in the French Quarter. I left Joe’s inspired to re-create that last taste of NOLA and I’m going to share with you my recipe for a traditional style Shrimp Po Boy Sandwich that turned out to be just as good as the one I had back then.

Shrimp Po Boy
This recipe is ridiculously easy
Dredge: You will need 3 bowls. 1 for Seasoned Flour, 1 for Egg wash, 1 for Seasoned Corn Flour/Flour
Bowl #1 – 1 cup All Purpose Flour + 2 Tablespoons Corn Flour (not meal!) + 1 teaspoon Creole Seasoning
Bowl #2 – 1 Egg + 3 Tablespoons Milk + 1 teaspoon Creole Seasoning
Bowl #3 – 1/2 cup Corn Flour (not meal!) + 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour + 1 teaspoon Creole Seasoning

Shrimp:
2 lbs small to medium sized Shrimp (30/40 Count)
4-6 cups Frying Oil, I used Canola for this recipe
2 quart Pan for Frying

Sandwich:
French Rolls or a Baguette, sliced into approximately 6″ sections
Butter
2-3 Tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 Head Iceberg Lettuce, shredded
Mayonnaise
Pickle Spears

Heat your oil until it comes up to about 350°
Dredge your shrimp in Bowl #1 and coat thoroughly, then dip into the liquid Egg Wash in Bowl #2, then quickly do your final Dredge in the Corn Flour and Flour mixture in Bowl #3.
Carefully, drop your coated shrimp into the frying oil and cook just until they turn golden brown.  Place shrimp on a plate set up with a paper towel to await sandwich assembly. Helpful tip: Do not overcrowd the pan, there should be space enough between the shrimp that they are not stacked or touching each other.  overcrowding the pan will drop the temperature and result in soggy fried shrimp.

Cut open your bread, leave it attached on the long side (like a hot dog bun).  Generously spread butter on the inside, lay them open and give them a quick toast under the broiler, just until they are golden brown.

Now you are ready for assembly!  Slather some Mayonnaise on each side of the toasted bread, then pile on a generous helping of lettuce, followed by your tomato slices and finish it off with a giant heap of fried shrimp, slide a pickle spear alongside it.  Serve it while it’s still warm and enjoy a little taste of New Orleans how I remember it!

Makes 2-4 sandwiches… depending how much shrimp you want to pile on and how many end up being taste tests ;)

Creole Seasoning

• 2 Tablespoons Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Cayenne
• 1 Tablespoon Paprika
• 1 Tablespoon White Pepper, ground
• 1 Tablespoon Oregano, ground

Mix it all together.  Store or use immediately.

Full disclosure: I have received no compensation from Chow Foods for this article.  I just happen to be a fan of what they are doing over at Endolyne Joe’s.
Images by Kelly Cline ©2010 All Rights Reserved

Spring has sprung folks and that means that your neighborhood Farmers Markets that were closed during the Winter months are about to open up!  Local Farmers and Artisan Food Producers from around Washington will be making their delectable foods available to you this season.

Hitting up the Farmers Market makes great outing solo, as a date or with the family.  Our various markets will often have live music, chef demos, crafts, contests, local artists, author signings and even activities for the kids.  Check with the individual Market’s website to see what scheduled events are coming up.  It’s a great chance to go on an outing to shop for dinner and get to know the people behind the food.  How great is it to pick up a bundle of Kale, fragrant Spring Onions or a bunch of Carrots and hear the Farmer working the stand tell you that those were harvested at 5am that very morning.  It doesn’t get any fresher than that!

So what can you find at your local Farmers Markets?  Well it really depends on the time of year you go.  Farmers Markets selection is based on Mother Nature, so whatever is ripe is what is on sale.  Alongside the seasonal fresh Produce you can also find Eggs, Milk, Cider, Seafood, Beef, Chicken, Pork, Plant Starts, Vinegars, Nuts, Salt, Foraged Foods,  gorgeous Flower Bouquets, Breads, Pastries and Cheese  just to name a few.

Today I am sharing with you some of our major local Farmers Markets information so you can plan your next outing to healthier, local food brought to you by proud, hard working people.  Later I’ll be sharing with you some inside information on a couple of my absolute favorite Farmers Market haunts… and also a few mouth watering recipes that showcase the best food produced right here in the Northwest.

Farmers Markets All Around Washington

• Bellevue’s Thursday Market – OPENS MAY 13th – Thursdays, May 13th – October 14th,  from 3:00pm to 7:00pm, at 1717 Bellevue Way Northeast.
• Bellevue’s Saturday Market - OPENS JUNE 5th – Saturdays, June 5th – November 20th, from 10:00am to 2:00pm, at 10610 Northeast 8th Street.
• Bellingham Farmers Market – OPEN NOW! – Sautrdays, April 3rd – December 24th, from from 10:00am – 3:00pm, at Railroad Street & Chestnut Street. Check their website for more market days.
• Broadway Sunday Market – OPENS MAY 9th – Sundays, May 9th – December 19th, from 11:00am to 3:00pm, at 10th Avenue East & East Thomas.
• Columbia City Farmers Market – OPENS APRIL 28th – Wednesdays, April 28th – October 20th, from 3:00pm to 7:00pm, at Rainier Avenue South & South Edmunds.
• Fremont Farmers Market - OPEN YEAR ROUND – Sundays, from 10:00am to 5:00pm, at Phinney & 34th. Check their website for more info on Ballard, Wallingford & Madrona Markets.
• Kent Farmers Market - OPEN JUNE 5th – Saturdays – June 5th – September 25th, from 9:00am to 2:00pm, at 2nd Avenue & Smith Street
• Kirkland Farmers Market – OPENS MAY 5th – Wednesdays, May 5th – Oct 13th, from 2:00pm to 7:00pm, at Marina Park
• Lake City Farmers Market – OPENS JUNE 3rd – Thursdays,  June 3rd – October 7th, from 3:00pm to 7:00pm, at Northeast 125th & 28th Avenue Northeast.
• Magnolia Farmers Market – OPENS JUNE 5th – Saturdays, June 5th – September 25th, from 10:00am to 2:00pm, at 2550 34th Avenue West.
• Phinney Farmers Market – OPENS MAY 28th – Fridays, May 28th – October 1st, from 3:00pm to 7:00pm, at 67th & Phinney Avenue North.
• Port Townsend Farmers Market – OPENS MAY 1st – Saturdays – May 1st – December 18th, from 9:00am to 2:00pm, at Lawrence & Taylor in Uptown.  Check their website for information on their Wednesday Market.
• Poulsbo Farmers Market – OPEN NOW! – Saturdays, April 10th – October 23rd, from 9:00am – 1:00pm, at Northeast Iverson Street & 7th Avenue Northeast.
• Puyallup Farmers Market – OPENS MAY 1st – Saturdays, May 1st – October, from 9:00am to 2:00pm, at 330 South Meridian in Pioneer Park.  Check their website for information on the Sunday Market.
• Queen Anne Farmers Market – OPENS MAY 20th – Thursdays, May 20 – October 7, 2010, from 3:00pm to 7:00pm, at West Crockett Street & Queen Anne Avenue North.
• Spokane’s Saturday Market – OPENS MAY 1st – Saturdays, May 1st – October 30th, from 8:00am to 1:00pm, at 2nd and Division in Downtown.  Check their website for dates & times for their Wednesday market.
• Tacoma Farmers Markets – OPENS MAY 20th – Thursdays – May 20th – until Season Close, from 8:30am – 2:00pm, at South 9th Street & Broadway. Check their website for locations of two other Tacoma area markets.
• University District Farmers Market – OPEN YEAR ROUND – Open Every Saturday, from 9:00am to 2:00pm, at University Way & Northeast 50th.
• Wenatchee Farmers Market – OPEN MAY 7th – Saturdays, May 7th – October 30th, from 8:00am – 1:00pm, at South Columbia Street & Palouse Street. Check their website for more markets & locations, everyday of the week except Mondays & Fridays
• West Seattle Farmers Market – OPEN YEAR ROUND – Open Every Sunday, from 10:00am to 2:00pm,  at California Avenue Southwest & Southwest Alaska.
• Yakima Farmers Market – OPENS MAY 9th – Sundays – May 9th – October 31st,  from 9:00am to 2:00pm, at 3rd Street & Yakima Avenue.

This is by no means a complete list, but it’s a good place to start you on your exploration into local, honest to goodness food.   Do you have a favorite market not mentioned here, please share it with us!

Some tips when visiting your Farmers Markets:

1. Let the Farmers set up their booths, obey the market rules of no shopping before the official opening of the Market.
2. Keep track of your children and keep them close, but keep it fun.  Let them explore the booths with you and talk to the Farmer’s but be sure to reel them back in when the Farmers start getting busy.
3. Dog owners be sure to note Market rules pertaining to Dogs… some allow them and some don’t, and scoop that poop!
4. Don’t haggle or dicker prices at the beginning of the Market day.  Let the folks who are  paying the posted market price pay, get in and get out.  Save your chaffering for the end of the day, it’s extremely rude to hold up a line of folks who are trying to pay when you want that extra bunch of Lamb’s Lettuce for half price during peak hours.  Most Farmers are willing to make you some really great deals as the market comes to a close, and some will even throw some freebies at you from time to time.  Wait until about 30 minutes to closing before you start bargain hunting.
5. Have fun, get to know your food and the folks who bring it to your table!

Images by Kelly Cline ©2010 All Rights Reserved