Topped with mozzarella cheese, this flavorful zucchini lasagna was layered with lots of labor to enhance flavor and texture - two layers of sliced zucchini, a layer of black beans, two layers of zucchini spread, the bechamel sauce, chorizo and onions, and a bottom crust to hold it all together!
Zucchini slices were boiled for only 4 minutes then cooled in ice. I made a simple butter-flour crust, rolled it out, then pressed 'Ancient Grain' tortilla crumbs into the rolled dough. 'Ancient Grains' uses a b
lend of whole grain wheat, amaranth, millet, quinoa, teff, and sorghum. I fried and seasoned the tortillas, put them through the food processor, then pressed them into the butter crust. This would provide a flakey crunch to the casserole.
A layer of black beans was spread out, then covered with the bechamel sauce.
Zucchini spread and bechamel gave the flavor to this dish - no salt was used.
The zucchini spread - I canned 52 pints this year - is made with carrots, kale, onion and garlic, tomato, mashed garbanzos and black beans, and spices. It is so flavorful! Perfect as a spread for toast or as a filling for burritos.
After layering the zucchini, spread, beans and bechamel, I fried a small amount of chorizo and onions, and put them on top.
Mozzarella on top, with toothpicks, so the cheese will not stick to the foil when this is baking.
This casserole held up beautifully when served, keeping its shape when cut into squares, which can be a problem with some lasagna casseroles. I didn't salt the zucchini so juice wouldn't seep throughout the casserole, and I cooled down the bechamel so it would thicken slightly, and remain so even when baked.
The flavor comes from the bechamel sauce, the chorizo and onions, and the zucchini spread, all of it quite flavorful. The crust added a crumbly texture, and made it easy to serve without falling apart.
... and banana chips, fresh peaches, and mango syrup! (Recipe here.)
Want it crispy like a waffle? Use a grill pan, oil spray, then toast.
It may look like a peaceful place, but the Willapa Watershed is seriously managed! These are the activities that are undertaken to help improve overall stream health and lower stream temperatures: • Plant native riparian vegetation near streams. Consult with conservation district staff or other experts to determine what native riparian zone vegetation is best for the land. • Fence livestock away from as much of the riparian zone as possible, or use grazing and watering methods that minimize livestock contact with surface and ground water. Consult with conservation district staff, NRCS staff or Washington State University Cooperative Extension grazing experts for help with this. • Locate roads away from the riparian zones. • Convert irrigation systems to more efficient systems wherever practical. • Allow woody debris to stabilize streambeds and stream banks as possible, practical, and as would naturally occur. • Re-vegetate, and where appropriate re-shape, stream banks. • Develop farm plans that address temperature as part of their water quality component. • When possible, use reduced-till or lower-impact farming and livestock grazing practices that reduce runoff rates during rapid snowmelt and rain runoff. Not only does this protect cropland soils, but also by creating a more natural runoff rate, it keeps stream banks stable and minimizes flood damage in the near stream disturbance zone. • Provide off channel water sources for livestock. • Close non-essential roads near streams.
This little trail can no longer be funded or managed, but access is available 'at one's own risk' - a .04 mile hike, with fitness embellishments along the way - places to climb, pull, stretch and bend.
We enjoyed the shade and the climb, but it was altogether too brief.
We had hoped to hike here, but extensive storm damage closed some of the trails. We had to climb down a steep embankment to get to this swimming hole. 
The ravine is dramatic, with old volcanic sludge, and lush with cedar, hemlock, Douglas-fir and Sitka spruce. I dropped a stone into the water here, to see how deep it was, and couldn't see it after awhile - a very precipitous drop.
Fava beans, cilantro and parsley, dill and leek seedheads, camomile,
nasturtium, borage flowers, chicory, lettuce, chard, kale, snow peas, brussel sprouts, new potatoes, carrots and celery, red and yellow onions, kale, zucchini, corn, turnips and rutabagas, fennel and oregano, mustard, and calendula flowers.
Foraged blackberries and store-bought cherries - what a salad!
I'm exploring ways to use fava beans, as most of them are ready for grilling or braising for stews. The sauce is applied to the bean at the time of grilling then the bean is squeezed out of the pod.
This meal was finger-lickin' good - the juice of the crayfish, a garlic/pepper sauce on the steak, the butter on the corn, and the olive oil and salt coating the fava pods.
Fava leaves have a buttery flavor - wonderful sauteed or raw in salads.
Still using zucchini from the garden. I have over 52 pints of zucchini spread either frozen or canned, so I broiled zucchini today.
Then I made a cornmeal crepe batter, and poured it on top of an assortment of veggies frying in the pan - onion, bell pepper, parsley, etc. I seasoned the top with turmeric, paprika, garlic salt. When the first side was finished frying I flipped the crepe over and fried the other side. Filled with broiled zucchini and onions.
Beacon Rock State Park (map here) is in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area about 35 miles east of Vancouver, Washington. It is a pleasant three-hour drive from Tacoma. We planned to camp over the weekend, hoping to secure a campsite for two full days and one night.
George put on his music - an absurd (but enjoyable) collection. I recall listening to 'I'm a little Teacup, Short and Stout', then tuning all of it out so I could read my cookbook. Within a short time we were at Beacon Rock on the north bank of the Columbia River.
Beacon Rock is a basalt plug that rises 840 feet above the river. Ice-age floods through the Columbia River Gorge eroded the softer material away, exposing the basalt columns. The campground along the waterfront, which has an attached picnic area, has only two campsites available. 
We secured one, nestled along the base of the forest. The other one, suitable for an RV, wasn't occupied. 
So, when all the people enjoying the afternoon in the picnic/boat ramp area left at dusk, 
George and I were the only ones there to enjoy the vista, the expanse of shoreline - and the showers and bathroom facilities!
We had the place to ourselves. Other campsites were above, up in the forest, away from the water. We checked them out - filled with campers, people, pets, and the noise of kids.
We felt our campsite was perfect- we wanted to beach our canoe and be close to the water. The only drawback was the frequency of freight trains, which operate all day and night on both sides of the river. One gets used to it - the brisk efficient hum - unlike the sounds I recall from 60 years ago, when freight trains used to rattle, squeak, ram into each other, and make the worst racket coming into the train station. I prodded George at bedtime, "Should we set the sound machine to the 'train' setting?
Three watercraft were moored at the boat ramp. 
A couple using one fished off the dock. The other had guests returning from an outing about 11:30 p.m. They built a fire in a grill down on the dock, probably cooked fish for a late dinner, and then drove home after midnight. It being the ONLY noise in camp, I couldn't help but wonder what was going on, so I peeked out the screen window of our tent! If this had been up in the main campground with all the other campers, I wouldn't have been curious about a thing! 
Topped with mozzarella cheese, this flavorful zucchini lasagna was layered with lots of labor to enhance flavor and texture - two layers of sliced zucchini, a layer of black beans, two layers of zucchini spread, the bechamel sauce, chorizo and onions, and a bottom crust to hold it all together!
Zucchini slices were boiled for only 4 minutes then cooled in ice. I made a simple butter-flour crust, rolled it out, then pressed 'Ancient Grain' tortilla crumbs into the rolled dough. 'Ancient Grains' uses a b
lend of whole grain wheat, amaranth, millet, quinoa, teff, and sorghum. I fried and seasoned the tortillas, put them through the food processor, then pressed them into the butter crust. This would provide a flakey crunch to the casserole.
A layer of black beans was spread out, then covered with the bechamel sauce.
Zucchini spread and bechamel gave the flavor to this dish - no salt was used.
The zucchini spread - I canned 52 pints this year - is made with carrots, kale, onion and garlic, tomato, mashed garbanzos and black beans, and spices. It is so flavorful! Perfect as a spread for toast or as a filling for burritos.
After layering the zucchini, spread, beans and bechamel, I fried a small amount of chorizo and onions, and put them on top.
Mozzarella on top, with toothpicks, so the cheese will not stick to the foil when this is baking.
This casserole held up beautifully when served, keeping its shape when cut into squares, which can be a problem with some lasagna casseroles. I didn't salt the zucchini so juice wouldn't seep throughout the casserole, and I cooled down the bechamel so it would thicken slightly, and remain so even when baked.
