Author: jstv

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Buried in a Cloud of Smoke

Smoke haze out our front door.

Twenty miles west of us is the Cedar Creek Fire. It started from a lightning strike on August 1. 45 days later its burned 91,103 acres and is still not contained. This is now the largest wildland fire in Oregon.

So this week we sat under a blanket of smoke. For most of the week air quality levels shifted between Very Unhealthy to Hazardous, with brief bouts of Moderate on the air quality index.

Morning view out our window.

When the smoke gets this bad the only thing we can do is break out a good book and make sure the windows and doors are closed tightly.

There is a break in the forecast as weather patterns shift. However, until that happens we aren’t getting very far from home.

 

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Fall Yet?

Our screens are filled with Fall and Halloween, content but summer’s not giving in that easy. The PNW swelters under a heat dome and it does not feel even a little bit like Fall.

Wading rivers is a great way to beat the heat. Usually we can time our trips to take advantage of the cooler morning hours. Neither of these strategies worked this week. The day’s heat never gave way to a typical morning chill. We needed to find a different escape.

The Upper Deschutes is a perfect spot. Tip can enjoy a game of fetch and a swim. A dense lodgepole forest gives plenty of shade along the stream bank so it is a good choice for these last days of summer. The weatherman predicts a shift to more ‘Fall’ like weather in the days to come. For now we make do.

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Picnic Snacks

Today’s picnic features Brown Butter Crispy Rice Treats and Oatmeal cookies
Snack contemplation

Is it really a picnic lunch if there’s no ‘cake’? While growing up, my family’s fishing trips featured Camping Cake, a date rich cake, topped with walnuts and chocolate chips, transported in an aluminum nine by thirteen pan. 

We’ll focus today’s post on the best part of any picnic, because … Every Picnic Needs to have Snacks (part of our ongoing Rules to Live By).

Lately, we’ve been working through cookie recipes for our picnic boxes … well, evening snacks too. Classic cookie recipe searches will bring up a surprisingly long and not so surprising unvaried list. But that is just the type of cookie that can survive a road trip in a tin box.

In the midst of this quest, JQ discovered an excellent book by Joanne Chang Flour: A Baker’s Collection of Spectacular Recipes. Chang’s book approaches everyday recipes with additions that make for extraordinary desserts.

For instance, the oatmeal cookie recipe in this book has a subtle hint of nutmeg, which really makes this basic staple addictive. What is not just classic but iconic? Rice Crispy Treats, right?

What elevates this recipe is two additions … browning the butter and adding vanilla bean.

Chang’s **Brown Butter Crispy Rice Treats** is a nice take on how you’d imagine the original tastes, but without getting too many pans dirty. We’ve shared the map to crispy goodness below.

Print Recipe

Brown Butter Crispy Rice Treats

Ingredients

  • 228 grams unsalted butter 2 sticks
  • ½ vanilla bean sliced lengthwise
  • 280 grams marshmallows 2 x 10oz bags
  • 240 grams crispy rice cereal 9 cups
  • pinch salt

Instructions

  • Butter a 9 x 13 baking pan.
  • In a large sauce pan, melt the butter over low heat. As the butter melts, slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds directly into the butter.
  • Once the butter has melted, it will start to bubble and crackle. Watch carefully to see it slowly brown. As soon as the bubbling subsides, after about 5 minutes, the butter will be browned. Add the marshmallows and a pinch of salt and stir constantly over low heat until the marshmallows are completely melted and the vanilla seeds are evenly distributed.
  • Remove the pan from the heat, add the cereal, and mix well to combine. Turn the mixture into the prepared pan and pat into an even layer. allow to cool for about an hour, or to room temperature, then cut into even pieces.
  • Treats can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days
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Take a Seat

A mourning dove flutters from tree to tree

“Hurry-up” is programmed into our lives … but what’s the rush? At this point, we’re in a reset, rather than retirement.

No longer in a rush, it’s possible to see details once missed, overlooked,  even forgotten … details that make a difference.

The flow of a stream stirs the surroundings. Walk up to the river and you’ll find an abundance of green growth at the base of a hill or canyon. Beautiful sights, but just a facade.

Take a seat on the edge of that river and a whole world will emerge. The river isn’t just motion, it’s a life force. Just a few quiet moments will reveal the extent of life being supported by this high desert waterway.

The fisherman will run a hand over tall grasses at river’s edge, or turn a submerged stone to coax insects out of hiding. Before stepping into the current, a scan will reveal where fish are holding and feeding. A few steps off the bank, and you’re engulfed in water sounds.

Camera in hand, a chair tucked behind a row of tall thistle, you’re in a perfect blind to watch as blossoms come alive with butterflies. The foliage also obscures you from the birds hopping about in the juniper branches or feeding from the water’s edge.

A Canada Goose acts as sentinel over this year’s goslings.

 

There are waterfowl as well, and today a flock of Canada Geese are spending their day foraging underwater plants.

An osprey plucks a fish from the water and alights at the top of a snag to enjoy her lunch.

 

When we first pull up to the river there is a burst of activity. Cooler and camp chairs are set out and fly rods strung.

However, the bulk of our time is spent quietly watching as the river unveils a wealth of life. You just need to take a seat and observe.

 

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In Season

Early morning sunlight shines through jars of jelly

Pandemic, supply chain issues, inflation; the last couple of years have been quite a ride. A lesson to take from this turmoil is that we need to stop depending on goods and materials shipped from great distances.

Eating regionally and locally-sourced food puts better quality ingredients on your table. The downside is the seasonal nature of growing food.

In America, we have become accustomed to having year-around access to a wide range of produce. These gas chamber ripened crops lack taste but fill grocery shelves. Until you’ve had a tree ripened stone fruit you might not know what a peach or nectarine should taste like.

Fresh apricots

There are seasons when produce is available and at its peak. We need to regain an appreciation for these swaths of time. For example, right now summer berry season is coming to a close and a plethora of stone fruits are coming off the trees.

Loganberries, a hybrid of the blackberry and the European raspberry.

You can hold onto a flat of raspberries for maybe a couple of weeks, if you’re careful. A peach or plum will be at its most flavorful for less time, though you can use the fridge to extend that juicy goodness.  Its easy to find recipes to preserve any of your favorites.

While there is a narrow window on fresh with any fruit, you can preserve seasonal delicacies. Ironically, at the hottest time of the year our kitchen often has a boiling pot of water and fruit pulp fighting the AC unit.

Apricot jam in a jar

For the last couple of weeks we’ve been putting up pints of fruit preserves. In our house that consists mostly of jam because it retains the whole fruit, but also that’s the simplest process.

A classic … mason jar logo with loganberry backdrop.

At the same time we are gobbling up bowls of fresh fruits, we are water bath processing pints of that goodness to enjoy through the winter months. The biscuit recipe below is the perfect foundation for your kitchen preserves.

Print Recipe

Freezer biscuits

A cream biscuit recipe to stock your freezer with ... quick cook biscuits
Servings: 24 biscuits

Ingredients

  • 6 cups AP flour
  • 2 Tbsp Sugar
  • 2 Tbsp Baking powder
  • 1 ½ tsp Salt
  • 4 1/2 cups Heavy cream

Instructions

  • Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt toether.
  • Stir in cream with wooden spoon until dough forms, about 30 seconds. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured counter and gather into a ball. Knead dough until smooth, about 60 seconds, adding extra flour if dough is too sticky.
  • Roll to ¾ inch thickness and cut 2 ½ inch round biscuits. Lay out on parchment papered baking sheet with about ½ inch spacing.

To Store

  • Freeze for about 6 hours, then store in zip lock bags for up to a month or more.

to serve

  • Adjust an oven rack to the upper middle position and heat oven to 450°. Lay desired number of biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake until puffed and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.