Pickle inspiration

This past weekend, my pal Susie and I flew to California, with a brief stay in San Fran and then down to Esalen Institute for 3 nights. It was an epic trip not only for the basking in the moonlit hot springs and yoga, but because we drove 20 miles across the bridge to Berkeley, for a side bar voyage to a legendary pickle shop.

I happened across the "Cultured Pickle shop" via a Diane a food blogger, writer and community food activist. She sent me this video and ever since, Alex Hozven, the chef/ pickler has been a celebrity of types in my world.

While there, I ogled her shop, the casks of fermenting cabbage, beets, seaweed, turnups, carrots and the 10 gallon glass tanks of fermenting kombucha that lined the walls were enough bring me to sheer joy. Cultured products like this are sold in store, to local restaurants & farmers markets (lucky bay area!)
Susie & I shared strawberry turnip kombucha & sassafras ginger kombucha.

Watch & enjoy.

Cots

My favourite thing to do with apricots is straight up fresh dried apricots...all season long. (They also make really decent smoothies.


My dehydrator of choice is Nesco's American Harvest, is was $60 at London Drugs.

Pitting

Its time!

Dried, frozen, canned, jammed, pickled, savoury, sweet, plump, juicy...
Oh how I love cherries.

Where to order:

Sweet: Michael's orchard, email: michael@driedfruitguy.com OR Organics at Home


Sour: Garside farm

Cherry Delight Smoothie (VEGAN)
1 cup frozen cherries
1 banana
teaspoon of cocoa powder
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 an avocado
a splash of water for desired consistancy

Salty flare on the road

While I had good intentions of writing earlier, the cool spring gave rise to summer quickly and Ive been on vacation and tending to weeds, with little time to spare. Let me share one my FAVOURITE road trip pit stops EVER (in honour of my pal Kristy who says the blog needs more protein).

If you don't road trip to the Oregon coast regularly, you should. It is known for it's awesome food, micro breweries, surfing, hiking- what else do you need?

Along route 101 just south of Nehalem there is a rustic RV park and Marina, which doubles as an unsuspecting LEGENDARY crab shack. "Jetty Fishery" serves up the freshest seafood with salty fisherman flare. Crabs & oysters arrive hourly.


I knew I wanted something, judging by the primal style eatting around me, mallets & fingers...However, I felt like a fish out of water standing there in my dirty hippie road gear not knowing how to order. I must have been a common sight, because I was greeted with a sense of humour and was sized up for my appetite.



We ordered 2 crabs to share and 4 oysters (the small ones). There were some the size of my arm. Steamed in bay water, accompanied with Coronas, we basked in the sun and our new find.

homestead inspiration

There is nothing like fresh oysters on the fire...

On a recent trip to my favourite gulf island- I stayed with my friends Kristy & Allan, Coco & Basha. For the past 3 years, I have watched them transform their parcel of land from a de-stumped pile of dirt into a ecotastic homestead. Their home & lives are worthy of several posts. Sustainable and rich with goodness, their lives are worthy of a blog itself- but here are a few morsels about my trip.

Although their home & farm are off the grid, solar power fuels all that is needed. This is inspiration; they have a fridge, freezer, oven, hot water and power tools running and there is energy to spare.



What is not caught from the sea or off the land- is foraged or pulled from the garden. (there are grocery store trips too). Their garden is an epic mater piece, enough to sustain them (produce wise) for the season. Potatoes bursting from tire (apparently its warmer in there), peas, squash, greens, tomatoes, cucumber, you name it! Herbs, berries, fruit & olive trees colour the landscapes too. New this year are the chickens- Coco took me to gather eggs in the morning.



On the eve on my stay we ventured down to the bay and plucked a few oysters from the ocean. We savoured them with gratitude & (with lemon juice & hot sauce).