Don’t mean to complain about the weather . . . but . . .
Again this week we’ve been under mostly gray skies with a few inches of snow flurries thrown in.
One of the consequences of a wetter than normal winter is rivers are at or above capacity. Streams we frequent are running at April levels.
Un-fishable water is usually a product of run-off and right when ODFW opens the Upper Deschutes River as an alternative.
It’s really not all that deep
These dreary days mean we’ll fill the blog with more domestic tasks.
Oh there was activity, just mostly indoors and with fewer photos captured.
Not fishing doesn’t mean not thinking about fishing. Limited stream access just means more sitting at the desk spin’in feathers.
I even posted some of the patterns on Instagram. Winter is the season to refill boxes with patterns depleted last summer.
Books occupy another segment of daily activities. What an Inter-library loan can’t find, Hoopla and Kindle can.
Ken Forkish, owner of Ken’s Artisan Bakery In Portland, Oregon has written several books on bread. Evolutions in Bread and Flour Water Salt Yeast make for great reading.
There is always an eclectic mix of titles stacked on the living room table. This week that pile contained an inordinate number of cookbooks.
The other activity associated with dreary weather is cooking and we’ve done quite a lot of that. Soup Sunday returned this year and we’ve sampled and canned a couple of good recipes. JQ tweaked her chocolate pound cake recipe to perfection and fourth time seems to be the charm on finding a truly good chocolate chip cookie.
We didn’t get out much but that will change with the season. For now we’ll start a new book and wait for the real thaw.
This week we got caught up in a Pacific Northwest winter storm.
At least once a year an arctic front rides the jet stream over a rainstorm and turns Portland’s streets to skating rinks.
. . . are you seeing this?
Trouble is , , , this storm was an Atmospheric River and the jetstream turned on some gale force winds.
On our side of the mountains, the ice storm was minimal, but we did get three feet of snow to go along with the freeze. It pretty much closed down the whole Pacific Northwest for nearly a week.
There IS a whole deck chair under there
Only a few days ago the gas stations and grocery stores around us were still waiting on trucks from PDX to re-supply.
“Out of fuel” signs were common and empty grocery shelves were another casualty .
Inevitably these cold snaps are followed by warming and an accompanying slush and flood cycle.
Unlike many, our neighborhood did not experience any power outages.
The worst of it was the numerous snow shoveling excursions as we attempted to keep ahead of the accumulation.
In the end, we had shoulder-high berms on either side of the driveway.
We don’t require daily access to the transportation system and are quite content to stay at home.
As we write this post the view out our window is more springlike rather than a winter scape.
With all this “stay at home” time, we hit our reading lists pretty hard and finished up some fly tying.
We finally ventured out and managed to top off our supplies (including a trip to See’s Chocolates),
But most importantly, we headed to the Crooked and had a walk along the river. . . . We may have been experiencing a little cabin fever.
excited
joyous
grateful
content
Yeah, so hearing the river and being outdoors again was just what we needed.
We tested some new recipes and cooked and baked quite a bit . . .
Crispy Oatmeal Cookies, a staple in this household
Butter Chicken
Apricot Jam Crumbles
Freezer Hashbrowns
Tried Indian Butter Chicken and got numerous canning and freezing projects shelved.
The weather report calls for more mild rainy days, so it looks like we’ll have time to get ahead on our reading and do some more recipe testing while we wait for this ‘El Nino’ to move on.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in bowl.
Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and both sugars at medium low speed to medium and continue to beat until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute. Scrape down bowl as needed.
Add egg and vanilla extract and beat on medium low until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture, and mix until just incorporated and smooth, about 10 seconds. With mixer running, gradually add oats and mix until well incorporated, about 20 seconds. Give dough final stir by hand to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.
Working with 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll into balls and space them 2 1/2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Bake 1 sheet at a time, until cookies are golden brown and crispy on the edges. Let cookies cool on wire rack.
Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani Indian Butter Chicken)
Ingredients
MARINADE
3poundschicken breasts
1/2 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
1 1/2 tspLemon juice
1/2TBGround Tumeric
1/2TBGaram Masala
1/2TBCumin
SAUCE
4TBunsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and chilled, divided
1onion, chopped fine
5garlic cloves, minced
4tspgrated ginger
1serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1TBgaram masala
1tspground coriander
1/2tspground coriander
1/2tspground cumin
1/2tsopepper
1 1/2cupswater
1/2cup tomato paste
1TBsugar
1tspsalt
1cup heavy cream
Instructions
Marinade
Whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala, and cumin in a large bowl.Put the chicken in and coat with the marinade. Cover and marinade chicken up to a day.
Sauce
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger and serrano and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is softened and onion begins to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garam massala, coriander, cumin and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add water and tomato paste and whisk until no lumps of tomato paste remain. Add sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Off heat, stir in cream. Using immersion blender or blender, process until smooth, 30 to 60 seconds. Return sauce to simmer over medium heat and whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Remove saucepan from heat and cover to keep warm (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 4 days; gently reheat sauce before adding hot chicken.)
Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Remove chicken from marinade and place on wire rack set over foil-lined baking sheet. Broil until chicken is evenly charred on both sides and registers 175º, 8 to 10 minutes per side.
Let chicken rest for 5 minutes. While chicken rests, warm sauce over medium-low heat. Cut chicken into ¾-inch chunks and stir into sauce. stir in 2 tablespoons cilantro and season with salt to taste. Transfer to serving dish, sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro and serve.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour muffin tins. Set aside
Cream butter sugars and extracts together for 1-2 minutes. This will be used for both the cookie bottom, as well as the topping.
Add in the flour and salt, and mix just until combined. The mixture will still be crumbly.
Scoop the mixture into each muffin well. Press into the bottom and up the sides a little, forming a well. Pressinto the pan, but do not over pack.
Scoop 1 tablespoon of jam into the center of each cookie.
Sprinkle each cookie with 1 heaping tablespoon of the remaining cookie mixture.
Bake for 18 minutes or until lightly browned.
Let cool completely, then remove from pans. You may need a knife to run around the edge to help in coping them out. These will freeze really well for up to 3 months.
Peel potatoes. Cut into quarters and place in a pot of water. Salt and bring to a boil.
Parboil potatoes for 10 minutes, drain allow to cool.
Grate cold potatoes. Whisk egg and add to grated potatoes, then sprinkle and toss with cornstarch. Place mounds of grated potatoes onto parchment covered cookie sheet and shape to the size and shape you prefer. Freeze for 1 hour.
Heat avocado oil in skillet, a couple inches deep. Bring oil up to frying temperature. Place frozen hash browns in pan and brown on both sides.
Once brown, cool on rack. These freeze well and only require a little bit of heating up for those dash and go days.
It has been a very un-winter like winter and the blame is on an oceanic weather pattern. This “Southern Oscillation” (ENSO) or El Niño/La Niña isn’t a recent phenomenon.
In the sixties an environmental scientist, Jacob Bjerkness, linked known changes in ocean temperatures with shifts in atmospheric condidtions.
Hoarfrost on barbed wire
So as the trade winds off the coast of South America shift, the Pacific Northwest’s winter is affected.
As with most weather events, the measures are in less than accurate terms. Less snow? Less than what? . . . warmer, wetter winter . . . perhaps?
The lack of snow on roads just presents more opportunities for adventure. So, bring on your oscillation.
Quail feathers caught on a wayward breeze
Tip’s favorite spot
“Sculp Snack” streamer
Despite the weather, we managed a trip to the Crooked . . . meeting our minimum once a week fishing trip quota.
The remainder of the time was spent in the kitchen, getting caught up on canning projects and starting the holiday baking (see recipes below).
Just in time for the holidays, Loganberry Icebox Cookies
Portions of last season’s berries have been waiting in the freezer for cooler temps and preserving. We discovered a new fave . . . berry goo.
Raspberry Syrup
Well, technically it’s syrup.
This Raspberry Syrup is only pourable when heated, so we/ve taken to spooning it out of the jar over warm waffles on Sunday mornings. The flavor is intense.
Cowboy Candy
We also put up some Cowboy Candy. Pickled chillies. It’s a super simple pickle.
We use a variety of sweet and hot peppers, including banana and jalapeños, adjusting the heat to our tastes.
With a nod to German traditions, JQ made Christ Brot (Sweet Christmas Bread). It features rum soaked citrus and almonds in a sweet bread dough covered in a sugar glaze.
Sweet Christmas Bread (Christ Brot)
Creating the sugar crust
Features rum soaked citrus
The loaves, warm out of the oven are drenched in melted butter, covered top to bottom with vanilla bean sugar, then dressed in sifted confectioners sugar. Yeah, num . . . so much better than Stollen.
Six shopping days to Christmas and then it’s the new year.
Wow, this one went by in a rush. Looking like the week ahead is rainy, so we’re planning more baking and reading, with the mandatory fishing trip thrown in there somewhere.
12Tbspunsalted buttercut in to pieces and softened
1largeegg yolk
2tspvanilla extract
1 1/2cups flour
2/3cup dried fruit (match complementary dried fruit with jam, i.e. cherry jam with dried cherries)Dried fruit helps thicken jam mixture.
6Tbspjam or preserves
Instructions
Process sugar, brown sugar, and salt in food processor until no lumps of sugar remain, about 30 seconds.
Add butter, egg yolk, vanilla, and process until smooth and creamy, about 20 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.
Add flour and pulse until cohesive dough forms, about 20 pulses.
Transfer dough to counter and pat into 5 inch square. wrap square tightly with plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
Heat dried fruit and jam in small saucepan over medium heat until just bubbling, Let cool completely about 30 minutes. Process fruit mixture in clean, dry food processor until smooth, about 15 seconds.
Roll dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper into 10 inch square, about 1/4 inch thick. Freeze dough until firm, about 15 minutes. Cut chilled dough into four 2 1/2 inch wide strips.
Spread jam mixture evenly over 3 strips and stack, fruit mixture side up. Place plain strip on top. Wrap stack in plastic and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice chilled dough into 1/4 inch thick rectangles and place, one inch apart on baking sheet.
Bake until edges are just golden, 13 to 15 minutes, rotate sheet half way through baking. Immediately and carefully transfer cookies to wire rack and let cool completely before serving.Optional: Dust lightly with confectioners sugar.
In large bowl.combine rasberries, lemon juice, sugar and water. Let sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours.
Scrape berry mixture into stockpot and heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, hold at a boil for 6 mintues.
Have a mesh sieve placed over a second sauce pan and run hot syrup through the sieve. use a wooden spoon to 'mush' all but the seeds through the sieve.
Ladle strained liquid into hot canning jars, clean rims with vinegar, add lids and hand tighten rings.
Process in hot water bath (an inch or two of water covering jars) for 15 minutes.
3 lbspeppers (jalapeno, banana and a variety of small sweet peppers)
2cupscider vinegar
6cups sugar
1/2tspturmeric
1/2tspcelery seed
1Tbspgranulated garlic
1tspcayenne pepperadjust to personal taste (we omit altogether)
Instructions
Wearing gloves and a mask, remove stems, seeds and membrane of peppers. Slice into 1/4 inch strips. In the case of jalapeños, you can include seeds and membrane, which will increase the heat.
Bring vinegar, sugar, and spices to a boil (use a pan large enough to hold the sliced peppers) reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add in the peppers and return to a boil for 4 minutes.
With a slotted spoon, transfer the peppers into warm, clean jars to within 1/4 inch of rim.
Bring syrup back to a boil and hold for 6 minutes. Ladle syrup over the peppers, adjust for about an inch of head space and release trapped air. Wipe rims, add lids and hand tighten rings.
Process in hot water bath (and inch or two of water over the top of jar) for 10 minutes.
8 1/2Tbspunsalted European style buttermelted and cooled slightly
2eggs
1/3cupsugar
1/4tspsalt
1grated peel of a lemon
3/4cupblanched almondschopped
TOPPING
1/2vanilla bean
1/2cup sugar
9Tbspunsalted butter
1 1/4cupconfectioners sugar
Instructions
Two days before baking, place the raisins and citrus peel in a bowl and add the rum. Cover and set aside, stirring occasionally.
The day you plan to bake, stir flour, yeast, sugar and grated lemon peel together in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, and eggs. Make a well in the flour and pour the milk mixture into the well, stirring as you go. Knead briefly until dough is shaggy.
Dump the dough out on a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand until smooth, 5 to 7 minutes. Add flour only if absolutely necessary, form the dough into a ball and place back in the large bowl. Cover with a clean dishcloth and set aside in a warm, draft free spot for 30 minutes.
Gently pull the dough onto your work surface and pat out until about 1 inch thick. Distribute the chopped almonds and rum soaked fruit (include any rum remaining in the bowl) over the dough, and then gather the sides up around the fruit and almonds. Kneed together until the fruit and nuts are well distributed throughout the dough. Form the dough into a ball, place back in the bowl and cover with cloth. Allow to proof for another 30 minutes.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Divide the dough in half and form each into a round loaf. Place the loaves on the prepared baking sheet, cover and set aside for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the baking sheet in preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes or until loaves are golden brown.
While loaves are baking, make the topping. Place the vanilla bean in small food processor or blender with 2 Tbsp of sugar and pulverize until the sugar turns nearly to a powder. Combine with remaining sugar and set aside. Melt the butter.
Remove the baked loaves from the oven and let cool on rack for 5 minutes. Brush melted butter over loaves evenly. Do several coats until you have used up all the melted butter.
Sprinkle vanilla sugar evenly over the buttered loaves, lifting up the loaves to coat all sides evenly.
Finally, sift the confectioners sugar evenly over all the loaves, making sure to coat all sides. Let loaves cool completely.
When loaves are completely cool, wrap in foil. Loaves can be frozen for up to a month. Serve in slices.
We put in a lot of miles over the course of a year. Most are spent on two lane roads crossing the sage steppes on the east side of Oregon.
A storm front in a picture
A feature of driving through the high desert is you’re able to see the weather. Not just the stuff over our heads, but what’s happening on a distant horizon.
Storm advances on a field of stubble
You witness weather fronts sliding across remote locations. We frequently pull onto a wide spot in a remote stretch of highway, camera lens pointed out at a distant butte or swale. Cloud patterns, rain curtains, and sunlight all casting shadows for our photos.
a variety of weather in one frame
The play of light, clouds and landscape make for very interesting images. It connects us to the environment in a way similar to standing in a stream or hiking a rocky trail.
All if this is part of the experience we are trying to share in these posts. At the same time, making the journey as much fun as the destination.
The sun shone and the temperatures warmed … seemed like the perfect time to make a trip to Summer Lake. There is still some snow banked along the Fremont Highway, but the roads were clear. The same icy fog banks that we encountered last week hung over some of the valley around Fort Rock. Once we crested Picture Rock pass and started down into the Summer Lake Valley it was all sunshine.
These guys seem to be permanent residents
Winter is also hunting season, so we don’t expect to see a lot of bird activity. There are plenty of ducks and geese but not in the ponds around the campgrounds. Canals and marshes have filled up so there is plenty of water, most of the still pools are crusted with ice.
Tracking photo ops
We hiked along a dike to get closer to a pair of swans and watched a few raptors sail over head. The real reason for a winter photo excursion to Summer Lake is the contrast a cover of snow gives to the cliffs that line the valley.
Weather on the valley edge.
Reeds and grasses along the water ways give the foreground tones of caramel, ochre and brown. The snow-covered rocks of Freemont Ridge make the perfect transition to the blue skies. On a still day these are also reflected across the water surfaces.
The lack of any wind and the sun made for a comfortable day of walking the wildlife refuge’s paths. It’s still a few months before the migration brings flocks of birds to the space, but for now we can find plenty of other subjects for the lens of our cameras.
Inevitably these cold snaps are followed by warming and an accompanying slush and flood cycle.
The lack of any wind and the sun made for a comfortable day of walking the wildlife refuge’s paths. It’s still a few months before the migration brings flocks of birds to the space, but for now we can find plenty of other subjects for the lens of our cameras.