Dining Month Portland may be coming to an end, but savvy foodies can continue to enjoy some of the promotions amazing dishes courtesy of recipes on KOIN’s Studio 6.  Throughout the month, 10 restaurants appeared on the show to share the recipes for some of the dishes on their 3-course prixe fixe menus.

Check out this fantastic recipe for Orecchiette with Spring Vegetables and Speck from Chef Brock Willis of Southpark Seafood Grill and Wine Bar:

Koin Studio 6

Talk about convenience food:  there will be a lovely farmers market at Pioneer Square every Monday; the first one was yesterday. Since that’s just blocks from Watershed’s offices, Monday lunch options are looking good.

The market seems to offer a bit of everything (there are 48 vendors)  — beautiful fresh produce (with tons of cherries and berries as the star at the moment), Rogue Creamery and a couple of other cheese stands, cured meat from Olympic Provisions, breads from Pearl Bakery, excellent cookies from Two Tarts, and several prepared food stands so downtown office workers can pick up some ready-made lunch.

I like assembling a picnic from the fresh food. Yesterday it was a pint of Hood strawberries from Unger Farms, super-voluptuous Brooks and Rainier cherries from Baird Family Orchards, a loaf of walnut levain from Pearl Bakery, and some lemon-dill goat cheese from a new vendor called Briar Rose.

And a market on Monday means an easy answer to the “what’s for dinner” dilemma — just fill your (reusable) tote with fresh goodies and then enjoy a seasonal supper. The spinach and orach (red spinach) from Gathering Together Farm is awesome — so sweet and tender. I sear-roasted a chicken breast from Dayton Meat’s chicken (not from the market, unfortunately — I got it at Pastaworks, and it’s so good), fried some red potatoes from Gathering Together in the chicken fat that came from the bird, and swirled the spinach through the pan so it was just wilted, then piled it all on our plates. So full of flavor and life!

Hours 10:00 – 2:00, through October 25

Test your Kyle MacLachlan trivia…

Can you name the character Kyle played in Blue Velvet?

What’s his liquor of choice in Sex In The City? (hint, it hails from his favorite country)

Who was his love interest in Twin Peaks?

What’s the name of his Walla Walla wine label?

Yes, you heard me right “his wine label”. While stopping through Portland to film, I had the chance to swirl, sniff and sip his beautifully structured ‘06 Pursued by Bear Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s as sophisticated and genuine as the man himself. The only thing that could make this wine experience better would be to follow it with a cup of joe and a slice of cherry pie. (insider reference for all the Twin Peaks fans out there)

The recently debuted Irving St. Kitchen has just what you need this summer with their outdoor curbside BBQ lunches.  Their menu is simple but effective and quite tasty I might add. They offer a few different sized house smoked St. Louis ribs (1/4 slab for $7 and 1/2 slab for $12), chicken or pastrami sausage sandwiches ($6 each)  and a few other box lunch fixings to satisfy your midday hunger.

Today, I had the opportunity to swing by and sample their ribs.  Since the weather has been so gloomy, I wasn’t looking forward to walking the ten blocks over to 13th and Irving but I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived.  The BBQ masters were very friendly and I was even able to convince one of them to bust out some breakdance moves.  I was debating on whether or not we should have a mini dance battle but b-boying is tough in a collared shirt. Once the dance party wrapped up it was finally time for some ribs.

Even though it has been a few years since I’ve had some BBQ ribs, I thoroughly enjoyed Irving St. Kitchen’s house smoked St. Louis ribs.  It just rolls off your tongue, doesn’t it?  The best part about their ribs, in my opinion, is how they are able to slather them with their sweet and tangy St. Louis BBQ sauce and yet still manage to keep that smoky meat flavor in every fall-off-the-bone bite.  They were so good in fact that I forgot to take a picture of them before I inhaled them.  I guess on your next lunch break you will need to check it out in person.  Make sure you bring your dancing shoes!

Check out the menu attached below for food offerings and prices.

Irving St. Kitchen

703 Northwest 13th Avenue

Portland, OR 97209

(503) 343-9440

Directions

Bill Carter, award-winning filmmaker and acclaimed author will be traveling throughout the Northwest promoting the re-release of his memoir, Red Summer.

He arrives in Portland Thursday, June 17th for an appearance with Orlo – at the newly renovated Zoomtopia Building in SE Portland.  The action begins at 8 p.m. and beverages have been generously provided by Lagunitas Brewing Company (donation appreciated).

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to learn, share and mingle with Bill Carter as he recounts his experiences as told in his memoir “Red Summer” and shares his thoughts on the proposed Pebble Mine – a project that threatens to destroy one of the most sustainable fisheries in the world.  The event will also have a short reading by local Portland writer Moe Bowstern.

Tour and event details:

June 17th – Portland, Oregon
Celebration of creative writing and non-fiction with Orlo – www.orlo.org
8 – 10 pm
810 SE Belmont
Portland, OR
971-235-2734

June 18th – Seattle, Washington
Fisherman’s Dinner with Ray’s Boathouse (www.rays.com)
5:30 – 8 pm
6049 Seaview Avenue NW
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 789.3770

June 19th – Port Townsend, Washington
Sea-to-table Conversation hosted by the North Olympic Salmon Coalition (www.nosc.org)
5 – 7 pm
2333 San Juan Avenue
Port Townsend, WA 98368

June 20th – Portland, Oregon
Sustainable & Wild Salmon Dinner
Hosted by Nostrana (www.nostrana.com)
1401 SE Morrison Portland, Oregon
503.234.2427

June 21st – Astoria, Oregon
Filmmakers Dinner hosted by Clemente’s Restaurant (http://www.clementesrestaurant.com)
5 – 10 pm
1198 Commercial Street
Astoria, OR 97103
503.325.1067

June 22nd – Portland, Oregon
Screening of Miss Sarajevo at Mercy Corps Action Center (http://www.actioncenter.org/)
7– 9 pm
28 SW First Ave
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 896-5002

It was yet another rainy Friday in Portland…a perfect day for the Watershed team to partake in a Foodie Friday escapade. Our Foodie Friday program was designed for educational purposes – to get us out of the office and into the industry, further extending our knowledge base. The more we have these experiences, the more value we can offer as experts.

We started off the day at Lovejoy Bakery, with a behind-the-scenes look at magazine production, led by Martha Holmberg, our newest team member and award-winning editor. Martha shared the ins and outs of how a “book” is created and filled us with valuable insight, while we noshed on flaky pastries and coffee.

Next, we headed over to the Art Institute, where Martha spearheaded a cooking class designed to hone our skills on finding balance between fat and acid. After we got equipped with aprons and lined the counters with the essential cooking tools and ingredients, we dove into the first recipe on our agenda, a rough puff pastry from Martha’s very own cookbook, Puff, which would be used for a rhubarb galette. Martha took us through a rough puff pastry demo and then everyone got started on their own…all except for me. Having a gluten sensitivity, I took on the project of making a strawberry rhubarb compote and prepping the rhubarb filling for the galette. See the recipe for the rough puff pastry below.

Then came the vinegar tasting (unfortunately we didn’t get any pucker-faced pictures). We lined up seven types of vinegar and tasted them individually, noting the variances in flavor, acidity and body. It was striking to taste the subtleties in the different varieties and better    understand the flavor of each one. We learned the proper ratio of vinegar to oil; 1:3 and that a dab of Dijon mustard is a great emulsifier and flavor addition to a dressing. With this knowledge in hand, we each picked our favorite vinegar and created our own vinaigrette for a mixed greens salad.

Next, we made a spring vegetable pasta. We blanched a variety of fresh spring veggies and created a sauce from chicken or veggie broth, green onion, lemon zest and heavy cream or crème fraiche (due to a dairy sensitivity as well, I omitted this part). We cooked up two batches of pasta—egg pappardelle and gluten-free brown rice spirals—to toss with the sauce and veggies. Finally, the moment we were waiting for had arrived…it was time to dish up our goodies and E-A-T! The food was delicious, flavorful and so fresh! It’ll be tough to beat, but let’s see what we can cook up for the next Foodie Friday!

Rough Puff Pastry

Great for tarts, galettes, turnovers, quiches

Makes about 1 pound; enough for two 9-inch tarts. You can make this
very quickly with a stand mixer and a paddle attachment, or by hand,
using a pastry scraper.

8 ounces cold unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ice water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes, spread out on a plate, and freeze
for about 15 minutes.

Mixer method: Combine the flour and the butter in a stand mixer fitted
with the paddle. Mix on low speed until the butter cubes are smashed up a bit and the chunks are about half their original size; don’t worry if the chunks aren’t uniform.
Stir together the water and salt until the salt is dissolved, then,
with the mixer running, slowly pour it into the flour and butter and
mix just until the dough barely holds together; don’t add all the
liquid until you’re sure you need it. The dough will look quite
shaggy.

Hand method: Toss the flour and butter in a wide bowl and cut the
butter into smaller pieces with a pastry scraper (also called a bench
knife) or a table knife. Pinch and press the mixture with your fingers
to encourage the butter to form flattened pieces. Stir together the
water and salt until the salt is dissolved, then gradually add the
liquid as you toss the flour mixture with a fork to evenly distribute
the liquid. Don’t add all the liquid until you’re sure you need it.
The dough may seem a little dry at first but it will come together as
you start rolling.

Dump the dough onto a floured counter and pat it into a rough
rectangle about 5 by 8 inches. Roll into a 5-by-16 inch rectangle,
lifting the dough after every few rolls to be sure it’s not sticking
to the counter and dusting the counter with more flour if it is
sticking.

With a soft pastry brush, brush off any excess flour from the surface,
then fold the bottom third of the dough up and the top third down,
like you’re folding a letter. Make sure all the corners are square and
all the edges of the dough line up neatly so the three layers are in
perfect alignment. Turn the dough 90 degrees to the right, so that the
open edge is on your left. This rolling, folding, and turning is
called a “single turn.”

Repeat the rolling and folding for three more single turns, each time
neatening up the edges of the dough with your palms to keep them
straight and snugging up the corners so they’re square, as well as
brushing off excess flour before you fold. Dust the block of pastry
with more flour, wrap it in plastic, and chill for at least 30
minutes.

Repeat for two final single turns, then chill at least another 30
minutes before rolling and baking.

Do ahead
You can make the pastry ahead and refrigerate for up to one day or
freeze for up to two months.

From Martha Holmberg

We all anticipate the start of Oregon strawberry season, right? Well they’re here at last. Yay.

Problem is, the ones we’ve eaten are sort of, well, sour.

Not yay.

But no worries, we’ve got a recipe that makes the best of tart berries, by turning them into an actual salad. We toss them with an agro-dulce sort of dressing – some sweet from orange juice and a little sweet-sour from balsamic vinegar — and then let them macerate for just a bit.

The sugar draws out juices from the berries and it all balances into a tasty mix that pirouettes between sweet and tart – a perfect way to start an Oregon spring meal.

Strawberries in Peppery Balsamic Vinaigrette With Fresh Mint

Serves 4 to 6

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 tablespoon finely sliced fresh mint leaves

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 pound fresh Oregon strawberries, hulled and sliced

In a bowl that’s big enough to hold the strawberries, whisk together the orange juice, balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and cardamom until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Add the mint leaves, and then whisk in the oil a few drops at a time until dressing is creamy and emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Add the strawberries to the bowl of vinaigrette and toss gently. Let berries macerate at least 15 minutes before serving, but not more than 1 hour.

From Martha Holmberg, originally developed for and published in FOODday

This June, acclaimed author and award-winning filmmaker Bill Carter will traverse the West Coast to promote the re-release of his memoir, Red Summer.

Published by independent publisher Schaffner Press, Red Summer is a compelling exploration of Carter’s experiences commercial salmon fishing in Bristol Bay over the course of four seasons.  Carter’s tour will begin June 7th with an appearance at Booksoup in West Hollywood, and will end on June 22nd with an appearance at the Mercy Corps Action Center in Portland, Oregon.

Watershed is thrilled to have organized the Northwest segment of his tour and we have provided more information about his diverse and interactive appearances below.

All appearances are open to the public and reservations are strongly recommended.

June 17th – Portland, Oregon
Celebration of creative writing and non-fiction with Orlo – www.orlo.org
8 – 10 pm
810 SE Belmont
Portland, OR
971-235-2734

This celebration of creative non-fiction will be the unofficial kick-off for the newest edition of The Bear Deluxe Magazine and will occur in the event space of the Zoomtopia Building – the new headquarters for both Orlo and the Wordstock Festival.

The evening will feature short readings from local Portland writer Moe Bowstern, and Bill Carter will recount his experiences as told in his memoir “Red Summer.” He will also share his experiences touring the site of the proposed Pebble Mine – a project that threatens to destroy one of the most sustainable fisheries in the world.  Shoren Brown from Trout Unlimited Alaska will be on hand to share information about their efforts to protect Bristol Bay.

After Bill’s presentation there will be an opportunity to mingle with writers and purchase “Red Summer.”

The event is open to the public and suggested donation is $10.

June 18th – Seattle, Washington
Fisherman’s Dinner with Ray’s Boathouse (www.rays.com)
5:30 – 9 pm
6049 Seaview Avenue NW
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 789.3770
In 2010 Ray’s kicks off a year of farmer, fisher, rancher, cheesemaker, brewmaster and wine dinners featuring our many quality local purveyors to celebrate our 37-year commitment to sustainability and buying local.

Ray’s is preparing a special Red Summer Pre-Fixe Dinner that includes a copy of Carter’s critically acclaimed memoir.  Patrons who order this dish will then have the opportunity to meet with Bill Carter, who will be on hand to sign books and give first hand accounts of his experiences fishing in Bristol Bay.

For more information, prices and reservations please call: 206-789-7330.

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MENU
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Bristol Bay Salmon Dinner with author Bill Carter 
June 18, 2010
Roasted Oxbow Farm Beets
anselmo farm green garlic, pete’s arugula, gothberg feta
Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon
black tea custard, maitakes, bing cherry
Boistfort Valley Strawberry Fraisier
crispy meringue, venture-schulze balsamic
$50.00 per guest, *includes an autographed copy of “Red Summer” 
(*price does not include beverages, tax or gratuity)

June 19th – Port Townsend, Washington
Sea-to-table Conversation hosted by the North Olympic Salmon Coalition (www.nosc.org)
5 – 7 pm
2333 San Juan Avenue
Port Townsend, WA 98368

The Green Sanctuary Committee of the Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (QUUF) is collaborating with the North Olympic Salmon Coalition (NOSC) to host a “sea-to-table” conversation and an evening with award-winning filmmaker and author Bill Carter.

The evening will include presentations from local business leaders and fishing families and will be a fundraiser to help support the work of NOSC, whose mission is “to restore, enhance, and protect habitat of North Olympic Peninsula wild salmon stocks and to promote community volunteerism, understanding, cooperation and stewardship of these resources.”

Suggested donation is $10 and attendees will be treated to a screening of Carter’s new promotional demo film for Red Summer.

For more information about the event please contact Kai Wallin at the North Olympic Salmon Coalition, 360-379-8051

June 20th – Portland, Oregon
“Big Fish” Dinner
Hosted by Nostrana (www.nostrana.com)
1401 SE Morrison Portland, Oregon
503.234.2427

Nostrana – literally ‘ours’ in Italian – serves classic regional Italian cuisine built on refined yet rustic preparations, a passionate dedication to local farmers and producers, and the traditional method of cooking with fire.

Chef Cathy Whims was a 2009 James Beard “Best Chef Award” finalist and is a finalist again in 2010. Whims continues to be a long-standing advocate of the Slow Food Movement. In 2006, Nostrana was named Oregon’s Restaurant of the Year by The Oregonian.

With that in mind, Chef Cathy Whims will be hosting Bill Carter for a sustainable dinner on Father’s Day.  He will be available to meet guests and discuss his experiences fishing in Alaska’s Bristol Bay.

For more information, visit: www.nostrana.com.

June 21st – Astoria, Oregon
Filmmakers Dinner hosted by Clemente’s Restaurant (http://www.clementesrestaurant.com)
5 – 10 pm
1198 Commercial Street
Astoria, OR 97103
503.325.1067

Clemente’s Restaurant will be hosting Bill Carter for a $49 “Filmmakers Dinner” to celebrate his award winning film Miss Sarajevo, and to preview his newest promotional demo film for Red Summer.

Diners will enjoy a salmon-centric pre-fixe meal with four courses, and will watch and discuss both films.  Guests will have the opportunity to purchase both books on site and Bill Carter will be available to sign.  The event will celebrate the summer solstice, and will feature pourings from one of Oregon’s premier biodynamic wineries, Montinore Estate.

Hailing from a fourth generation Astoria salmon fishing family with Croatian roots, Lisa Clement brings a passion for health and sustainability to Clemente’s.  Her background in ancient medicine and food based cures combined with the passion for “slow foods” and beautiful presentation brings a contemporary flare to Clemente’s.

For more information, prices and reservations please call: 503-325-1067

June 22nd – Portland, Oregon
Screening of Miss Sarajevo at Mercy Corps Action Center (http://www.actioncenter.org/)
7– 9 pm
28 SW First Ave
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 896-5002

The only event of the tour to primarily feature Carter’s first memoir, Fools Rush In.

Mercy Corps will host a screening of Miss Sarajevo at their new Action Center, located in downtown Portland.  Bill Carter will be on hand to talk about his experiences making the film, and about his book Fools Rush In.

With 30 years of experience working in the world’s toughest places, Mercy Corps understands that a well-informed, mobilized constituency in the developed world is critical to realizing our mission of alleviating suffering, poverty and oppression. The solutions to the most complex global challenges require skilled and scaled advocacy to help the world’s poor. Targeted policy reform, including government aid spending and fairer trade agreements, as well as responsible corporate practices and consumer preferences, can save many lives. The Action Center and actioncenter.org are the cornerstone of Mercy Corps’ efforts to radically alter the way people think about the world, and their role within it.

*** ALL EVENTS sponsored in part by Trout Unlimited Alaska (TU-AK,) a sport fishing conservation group that is leading a diverse, grassroots campaign to protect the Bristol Bay watershed from Pebble. TU-AK will host a series of Bristol Bay salmon-tasting events, called Savor Bristol Bay, in Portland and Seattle in early July. Check out www.savebristolbay.org for details.

Yes, Portland has cemented its position as a swine-loving, cracklin’-crunching, squeal-munching city – some would rename it Porkland – with a fabulous showing at Cochon 555, Sunday evening at The Governor Hotel.

This is the second year that the traveling event – which is intended to raise awareness for heritage breed pigs and family-owned farms — has come to Portland. The other cities on the tour this year are Napa, New York, Boston, Stillwater, OK, (don’t hear much about Stillwater these days…), Atlanta, Des Moines, DC, Seattle, and San Francisco – with the winners of each city competing for king or queen of pork at the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen.

The 555 conceit comes from “5 chefs, 5 pigs and 5 winemakers.” Our 5 chefs were Naomi Pomeroy/Beast, Gabriel Rucker/Le Pigeon, Andy Ricker/Pok Pok, Jason Barwikowski/Olympic Provisions, and our own Cathy Whims/Nostrana, who turned a Duroc pig into about 5 delicious dishes.

Event-goers washed down the fantastic pork creations (including an herb-laminated handkerchief pasta draped over the most adamantly luscious Bolognese you could ever imagine, from Cathy) with mighty fine drinks, including beer from Hood River’s awesome Double Mountain and wines from Bethel Heights, Soter, Elk Cove, Domaine Drouhin, and Domaine Serene.

Adding to the fascinating/crazy/cool/educational aspect of the event (yes, it was all those things) was a tour de force butchering of a whole Berkshire hog by SF butcher Ryan Farr. One minute, a pig was stretched out on the table, the proverbial nose to tail still connected, then about an hour later were enough tidy and tasty-looking cuts of meat to fill a butcher case for a month. Too bad the room wasn’t set up better so that more people could see and hear this craftsman at work.

And thank god we had another meat guru on the program after Ryan, namely butcher boy Adam Sappington from The Country Cat. He had roasted a whole pig, which he deftly dispatched into succulent portions, served with cheesey mashed potatoes. And biscuits. And BBQ sauce. Now, where’s my Double Mountain…

p.s. To get the full flavor and scope of the event, read up on the “incident” that ocurred later in the evening:

Lisa Neal, owner of Couer de Terre Vineyard in McMinnville, OR, gives her perspective on the 2010 Portland Indie Wine & Food Festival on her blog, Yamhill County Chic.  This is the fifth year Cour de Terre Vineyard has been invited to pour at Indie.  See Lisa’s blog post here.