"From Time Out of Memory": A Sense of Place

This was the late afternoon fog rolling in from the ocean at Neah Bay, Washington. It was peaceful, with just the sound of the ocean, and incredibly intoxicating fresh air. In the far distance a solitary figure walked along the beach.

We'd just made camp at the Hobuck Campground on the Makah Reservation in preparation for a 3 day Baha'i Conference. George set up the sound system underneath a large canopy, and I set up my camp-kitchen under a tree. While he got his music going, I got busy chopping vegetables, slicing fruit for a salad, stuffing a large tilapia with dressing, and grilling some corn and eggplant.

While I prepared our meal (an early dinner at 4:30), I noticed that the campground was filling up very quickly, with surfers, kayakers, fishermen, RV'ers, and scuba-divers. The family camping next to us were fishing for salmon and diving for cod. I'd never heard of diving for cod, so when I asked the fisherman how they do that, I said, "Do you just stab them?" He laughed, and showed me the powerful rods that they use, and said that they spear them! He caught 100 pounds of salmon last year during a two-week stay, with 5 of his buddies bringing in the fish.

Another camper next to us came to surf, as he has for many years. He grew up in Hawaii, and has surfed for 30 years. He said it is enjoyable to experience 'the texture of water', as well as the currants and undertows. Riding the waves refreshes him, and he surfs all year somewhere along the coast.

Hobuck Campground is so remote, in the far northwestern corner of Washington state, that only serious recreationists bother to make the long drive there (ours was a 6 hour drive). The advantage to this, is that everyone comes with the intention of getting out on the waves, or into the water, and very little 'party attitude' permeates the facility. By 9:30 the place was quiet, except for the lovely sounds of a keyboard at the Baha'i enclave and some Native drums and songs.

I've posted all of the photos of our weekend in our Flickr account. However, the following are some of my favorites:

The reverence of these Makah dancers was so touching. They sang a prayer but did not do any dances out of respect for someone in their village who had recently passed away. The entire Neah Bay community shut down all services (stores, etc.) for several hours Friday afternoon so that everyone could attend the funeral.

Our host told stories, one of which was about the ancestors who came to this land and made it their home. That was so long ago that the people refer to it as "From time out of memory". They lived a communal lifestyle, in long-houses, and lived off the salmon and the abundant berries and roots in the forest. They shared their food and looked after each other's families, being like one family, one heart.

It is always an honor to experience the reverence in Native people, in their simple words and heart-felt stories. For me, it resonates in the most natural, deep way, as if someone was finally speaking my language. It made me feel like I was finally 'home', with my true family, living the way we were meant to live.

When they told their stories they spoke with respect for the land and the ocean, which gives them their sustenance. Our host acknowledged with respect all the residents of Neah Bay who allowed us to visit their home.

Baha'is sang songs, chanted Persian prayers, told stories of their service in foreign lands, and spent hours together every evening around a Council Fire. I took a turn roasting a couple of marshmallows, and the group of onlookers said that mine were the best they'd ever seen. Well, one just has to squat down close to the fire so the stick is pointed upwards, and be patient so that they will not burn. Otherwise, the melted part will side off the stick. The kids had the worst time waiting for the marshmallows to soften and brown. Instead, they charred the outside quickly, and gobbled them down.

This girl worked on her drum decorations. Other children were instructed in mask-making. They put them on, tying them under their chins, and pretended to be ravens, wolves, whales and bears.

Native people came to visit their relatives. They pitched tents close together and had bonfires going into the night, and enjoyed hot dogs roasting on long sticks. Children laughed and played in the shadows where their dogs were tethered.

Tents in the forest, near the ocean. In the early morning the crows and ravens called to one another. They were a loud rowdy bunch, waiting for us to start breakfast so they could eat some of the scraps. I had to learn the hard way to keep my garbage pail covered.

We were so fortunate to have good weather for our trip - fog in the morning and early evening, but sunshine and balmy temperatures during the mid-day. We walked along the beach and enjoyed the fresh salty air and warm sunshine.

I love this little house in Clallam Bay, on main street, (which is so short you'll miss the house if you blink). After I saw it, I asked George to drive back, so I could really appreciate the efforts of the gardener who made this nasturtium bed so charming.
Next door was a delightful Bed and Breakfast.

Refreshing and Light - Celery Soup

I pulled some of the celery from my garden and made this celery soup using an oxbone for the broth; onion, garlic, celery, carrots, zucchini and kale; and a blend of spices - cumin, star anise, tarragon, tumeric, fresh oregano, parsley and cilantro, and salt and pepper.

After the veggies cooked, I put about 1/3 of them through the blender, but left the rest so it would not be a creamy soup. It was so good, it was addictive - one bowl led to another, and then another. I took a quart jar of it on our camping trip last weekend, and it was the first thing we wanted for a meal when we arrived at our campsite.

I finished canning one whole box of peaches - actually, the top layers of two boxes. The rest do not seem so ripe, so I'm leaving them to ripen over the weekend. Depending on that, I'll either can the rest or make some peach pies or shortcake. This was the subdued early morning image of my kitchen counter following an intense day of processing peaches. It is not only the bottle-scrubbing, the sterilizing, the fruit-sorting, the blanching of skins, the syrup making, but learning how to pack the jars right, clearing out the bubbles, setting the seal correctly, and then doing the clean-up. I finally finished mopping the floor and washing up the dishes at 9:30 p.m. It is only upon waking the next morning that a feeling of appreciation can set in, and I can breathe a sigh of relief that it is over. However, now I must go through all my preserves - the apricot jam, plum syrup, strawberry jam, applesauce...and find room for all these peaches.

We are going up to Neah Bay on the Makah Reservation today, to spend three days at a Baha'i conference. We'll be camping, and cooking our own meals, and George will provide the sound system. Wouldn't you know it - just as it finally warmed up here in Tacoma (90's, with full sun) we'll be camping where it will be 61-65 degrees during the day, cloudy, and in the low 50's at night...with fog. Now, that sounds like a damp cold weekend, but fog nestled in the bluffs at the ocean sure sounds tranquil and lovely. I'm looking forward to it!

I researched images of Neah Bay, and most of them were of happy fishermen, holding up chinook salmon, quillback, yellow rockfish, tiger rockfish, ling cod, halibut and a lot of seagulls flying around waiting for those fish to be gutted.

It is also a down-to-earth practical place, no nonsense, where things die and hunker down.
Rusting in the truck cemetary. (josiehen's photostream)
And - a beheaded truck.

Lake Susan - Columbia Wildlife Refuge

This photo was taken about 6:30 in the morning on the second day of a 3 day camping trip that George and I took over the weekend.

Our destination was the magnificent Columbia Wildlife Refuge in eastern Washington. We had a fantastic trip, which included everything I wanted - a great day hiking, several canoe paddles, time to do some camp-cooking, and clear skies at night so we could enjoy the Milky Way.

The weather was perfect, with temperatures around 80 degrees, a few scattered clouds in the morning and then full sun the rest of the day. We made morning coffee, loaded up the canoe, and explored Lake Susan.

Little Lake Susan is nestled in the Columbia Wildlife Refuge, a 23,00 acre tract that hugs the Pothole area. It abounds with seep lakes:

"Columbia Refuge is a scenic mixture of rugged cliffs, canyons, lakes, and sagebrush grasslands. Formed by fire, ice, floods, and volcanic tempest, carved by periods of extreme violence of natural forces, the refuge lies in the middle of the Drumheller Channeled Scablands of central Washington. The area reveals a rich geologic history highlighted by periods of dramatic activity, each playing a major role in shaping the land. The northern half of the refuge, south of Potholes Reservoir, is a rugged jumble of cliffs, canyons, lakes, and remnants of lava flows. This part of the Scablands, known as the Drumheller Channels, is the most spectacularly eroded area of its size in the world and was designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1986."

Lake Susan, Katy Lake, Canal Lake, Heart Lake, Windmill Lake are all lakes we have canoed - all kinds of potholes. We decided to camp at Lake Susan because the camping area was in a grassy pasture, it was right on the water, and hiking options were perfect. Within just a few feet from camp there were cliffs and boulders ready for exploring, and cattle trails that meandered all over the open range.

The trick was to explore all the expansive gullies without bothering the cattle. As it was, they had their grazing patterns, and kept on the move. We had to climb up to this bluff though, to check out our options for trails. At one point a thundering herd of about 8 ran past us through a ravine, eager to put some space between us and them. The cattle were here first, so we just chose trails that got us from 'point A to point B', away from them, which took up most of the afternoon.

Last year we camped for a few days on the bluffs overlooking Katy Lake, one of my favorite destinations in the Refuge. We hiked around this lake, and further beyond by several miles, until we explored two more lakes. I packed trail-mix, fresh apricots, some zucchini bread, green tea, garlic bread grilled with olive oil, and feta cheese. Rather than bring a jar of brushetta, we just carried along a few packets of prepared Salsa, to pour over the toast.

By late afternoon we were back in camp, and while George sat and read I set up my cook station, with a place for my charcoal grill, my pots and pans and my cooler. I'm so accustomed to camping in remote areas, that I seldom set up a kitchen around a fire-grate or picnic table. I just have a 'sit-down' kitchen, with my stuff in a circle. I sit on one of the coolers, and place a large cutting board on my lap. I use it to cut and chop, like a counter. I think these 'outdoor kitchens' are my favorite - with expansive views and the sounds of birds (cattle and bullfrogs!)

On Sunday I grilled tilapia, a fine-tasting white, flakey sunfish found throughout the world. It was one of the most delicious meals I've ever had! I prepared a stuffing for the fish, grilled it with 3 ears of corn, and had assorted veggies on the side. The tilapia was stuffed with cooked celery, onions, tiny colored carrots, garlic, chorizo sausage, finely cubed Greek pita bread,cumin, salt and pepper. (I found patches of sweet wild celery (Apium graveolens) along Lake Susan, so picked a large bunch for the dressing. It was better and sweeter than anything I've grown in my garden. It must be triple-washed, though, as a precaution against giardia).
I put the tilapia in a wired basket, so that it would hold it's shape and not loose it's stuffing.
I basted the tilapia with fresh lime juice and olive oil, then placed the squeezed lime peel near the opening of the fish, to keep the stuffing in.
It only took a few minutes to grill the corn in their jackets.
Once done, it was super sweet, crisp yet tender.

I made pancakes both mornings, a banana-apricot buttermilk pancake on Sunday, that I served with chorizo sausage, and this blueberry type on Saturday. I put berries inside this pancake and sprinkled some outside. Of the two, I loved the apricot-banana one the most - it was so good I didn't take time to photograph it. Just gobbled it down!

I also grilled steak, bratwurst, fried potato skins, and marinated veggies - sweet peppers, carrots and celery, cauliflower, tomatoes, zucchini, onions, etc. Additional photos and text are in our Flickr account. Check out the 'innovative' sagebrush basting brush that I made from desert sage and cattail threads - an emergency tool I quickly made, to baste the fish and veggies! I swear, I was meant to forget my basting brush just so I could make it!

Experiments With Omlettes and Crepes

This is a Flaxmeal Omlette (cut in half), filled with zucchini, mushrooms, onion and garlic. It is topped with a light drizzle of Hosein Sauce and minced garlic. I made it for lunch today served with a fluffy bed of sliced zucchini from my garden.

Recipe for the Flaxmeal Omelette, with improvisation:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup flaxmeal (ground flaxseed) 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese- pureed
1 - 2 cups warm water, depending on how light or heavy you want the omelette.

I put all of the liquid ingredients, including the cottage cheese, in my blender, then added them to the dry ingredients.

Spray a saute pan with olive oil Pam, then sprinkle crushed Asian rice wafers onto the oil. Immediately pour the omelette batter into the pan, swirling it thin over to the sides. While the first side is cooking, sprinkle the top surface with salt, cinnamon and more of the crushed Asian rice crackers. This will give a savory, aromatic spicy flavor to the omelette and add a playful crunch. Flip onto the other side, and dust the cooked side with cinnamon (this is a powerful anti-inflammatory, and I use a lot of it.) When both sides are done, place on a cooling rack and fill with the mushroom/zucchini filling. Drizzle a tad bit of Hosein Sauce over the top, and a sprinkling of finely diced garlic.

Mushroom-Zucchini Filling for the Flaxmeal Omelette:
4 cups whole mushrooms
4 cups of yellow and green zucchini
sliced walla walla sweet onion
chopped fresh garlic
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
1 tsp of cumin
1 Tbs Panch Puran (a blend of fenugreek seeds, yellow mustard seeds, fennel seeds)

Briefly stirfry the mushrooms, onions, garlic, and zucchini. Don't let the mushrooms liquify. Add a little Hosein Sauce, about a tablespoon. Fry (activate) the Panch Puran in a hot cast-iron skillet and crush while warm, then add to the veggies.

My Flaxmeal Omelette is low in salt, high in protein, and has a refreshing flavor and aroma. The vanilla and cinnamon in the omelette and the nutmeg and cumin in the vegetables all work together beautifully. The Hosein sauce, garlic and Paunch Puran add punch and act as a counter-balance to the sweeter aromas. Since the omelettes have cottage cheese, they should be refrigerated after they are filled, if not eaten immediately.

I sliced up the remainder of my zucchini, added fresh oregano, and heated it for only a few seconds in my microwave, as a side dish to the omelette. No salt, no spices to these - just the vitality of 'fresh picked', so they would not be in competition with the omelette.

I've finished out my week pulling stuff out of the vegetable garden, stuff that was hidden - like huge yellow and green zucchini. They just get carried away, and when you do finally find them, you've got about five servings too much! So, I also made a zucchini cake, using up my sour cream and the zucchini. This is served with Greek God's Honey Yogurt and a sprinkling of pecans.

Since we are leaving on a camping trip tomorrow morning, I wanted to clean out the refrigerator, to use up all my eggs, milk, sour cream, ricotta, and yogurt. I made Apple-Apricot Crepes also, and plan to take some on our camping trip (I freeze the rest).

The crepe batter was modified, so that it is more like a thin, moist pancake. Apple-Apricot Crepes can be put over the campfire in the morning on a little tray, and will stay soft and warm, like a filled pancake. They are 'dressed up' with a pecan glaze - just enough sweetness to entice the palette but not detract from the fruit filling.

Pullin' Veggies From My Garden

I have harvested my first little mound of potatoes - Yukon Gold, my favorite. I've grown this type for many years, finding them very buttery, crisp, and flavorful. They are excellent mashed, but also make a wonderful potato for a salad, which I've done here.

Since I didn't have any mayonnaise, I substituted with a little ranch dressing mixed with mustard, pickle relish, onion, olive, celery and a little yogurt. I put the potatoes on a bed of salad greens, a mixture from my garden. Green onions, carrots, kale, celery, oregano, and parsley.

I spent a few hours today preparing dishes for a barbecue, using some vegetables my friend Nancy brought over from one of her catering events. She gave me a huge bag of fresh whole mushrooms, which I sauteed with onions and garlic, then added to my rice-red wheat blend. I put foil over this rice-wheat-mushroom mixture, and kept it warm in the oven until the barbecue was ready.

Nancy gave me a big bag of sweet bell peppers, whole garlic, roasted potatoes and carrots, and some eggplant, and I combined these with some onions and pineapple that I had left over from the weekend. I put all of the vegetables onto long metal skewers, capping them off with a firm 'rainbow carrot' from my garden. This last item helps hold all the vegetables onto the skewer so they won't slide off.

I grilled our chicken first, putting three large chicken breasts into a grilling basket this time, so that I can better control the grilling height over the charcoal. Our meal was ready in about an hour. I got out my big braiser, and put the chicken and vegetables into it, sliding everything off the skewers. It stayed warm in the oven at a low holding temperature until George came home for dinner.

It was a wonderful afternoon for grilling - finally we have some hot weather, and cooking outside was so relaxing out in my patio. My little grill sits on the cement, so I sit there too, in the shade, tending my fire just like when we camp out. Our cat Pandora sits under one of the patio chairs. She knows I'll give her a little bit of the chicken when it is finished, and she watches me with the utmost eagerness.

Will That Be Strawberry or Chocolate?

I've enjoyed experimenting lately with crepes, which are incredibly easy to prepare and make some good eating! Once the basic crepe batter is prepared, it is fun to determine what will go inside - asparagus with cream sauce, chicken and mushrooms, beef stroganoff or a zesty Mexican blend of peppers, tomatoes, onions, and garlic. Just about anything can go inside a crepe.

Since we tend toward burritos or soft taco shells to hold main-dish fillings, crepes tend to wind up as desserts in our household. I use a sweet batter, swirl it quickly in a non-stick fry-pan, and then lay the shells out on a wire rack. After they have cooled, I stuff them with a ricotta/cream cheese filling which has been sweetened with a little vanilla, lime juice and sugar.

If the topping is strawberries, I'll add some orange zest to the cream cheese filling. Once the crepes are filled, any topping will do - fresh blueberries, peaches and apricots, raspberries, or sauteed apple slices.

A sprinkling of powdered sugar is festive. I also like to drizzle a little chocolate syrup over crepes right before serving.

This is the recipe for Chocolate Pecan Crepes:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons
unsalted butter, melted

I also added wheat bran and ground flaxseed to the batter to add a little more fiber. When this crepe is cooked it turns out quite dark, slightly sweet, and there is a nice crunch to the crepe.

I added a ricotta/cream cheese filling, with a hint of vanilla and rum extract, then filled the crepes. For the caramel topping I mixed brown sugar, half n' half, and chopped pecans together and cooked the mixture until it began to caramelize. I drizzled the candied mixture over the chocolate pecan crepes. It turned out real nice, a dessert just perfect for afternoon coffee. Another variation on this crepe is the a chocolate crepe with sauteed Bananas and Butter Pecan Ice Cream, featured here.

Check out these apple crepes, which can be so festive, with cinnamon, caramel and nuts. They'd make wonderful little taste-thrills when they are warm out of the oven! And, look at this extravaganza, a crepe cake by 'creampuffsinvenice' on Flickr. It is so pretty!

Odds And Ends From A Busy Week

It has been a productive week, with our Ruhi Class Wednesday evening and a Devotional Thursday evening. The Baha'is of Tacoma hosted a booth at the Ethnic Fest last weekend, and we are now getting acquainted with new friends wanting to know more about the Faith. I spent only a few hours at the Fest, as major gardening tasks were calling. But, I did manage to catch some gospel and dance by the 'All Nations Dancers' and the 'New Life Olympia Gospel', and the ending presentation, reggae, by Alex Duncan.

I brought a camping chair, sat down and watched the crowds clapping and dancing to a performance. Here, the crowds are waiting for Duncan's performance - I just happened to turn around to catch the image.

These children are doing dance interpretations to music, with their coaches below the stage guiding them through the music. It was so sweet, so well done, and the crowds loved the kids.

I also caught a glimpse of the 'New Beginnings Step Team', a step-dancing group stomping to gospel music. The New Life Olympia Church gospel was simply rousing and wonderful - just exactly the type of religious music that I really enjoy. (I didn't use my camera during the Fest; got too distracted with the music.)

Mary Ellen and Rashid at our Ruhi Class.
Candy and a correspondent, Bud, from the 'American Baha'i' magazine. Bud came to this area to gather information about the activities in this area. He has spent several days visiting the Children's Classes, the Ruhi Study Groups, and the teaching events planned throughout the week.
George and Debbie, our tutors for the class.

My backyard garden is loosing some of the intensity of earlier blooms, and sliding into that mid-summer fade. The lilies are done, the roses are giving a second bloom, and the catnip is almost gone.

This rose is one of only three left, so I paid special attention to it. We've had rain for the past several days, so I've got plants that are now bending lower to the ground, with a bedraggled appearance. I'm glad I got the photos before the rain pummeled everything.

I'm still dealing with garden production - George, too. He pulled all his beets a few days ago to give more room to his green beans. I thought about pickling and canning them, which I did for years. But, he said he wanted a Beet Salad, deli-type, with red onions, dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, etc. So, we've now got a huge bowl full, crisp, cold, and zingy. It will take about 10 days to finish all of it. Anyone want some Beet Salad?

I'm also pulling a lot of yellow and green zuchinni, basil, parsley, oregano, and green onions. I've been stirfrying them together with onions, garlic, and cilantro.

I bought some bagettes and French Bread and made a quart of Brushetta Sauce. Until my tomatoes are ripe and ready to pick I use canned tomato slices, which I then flavor with basil, oregano, parsley, onion and garlic, and olive oil. I brush the sliced bread with a butter/minced-garlic spread, a hint of 'Mrs. Dash', then broil them until they are lightly brown. Then I take them out of the oven, add goat cheese, the Brushetta Sauce, tiny pieces of zuchinni, a little salt and pepper, and a few sprinkles of fresh basil. The Brushetta Toasts are then stuck under the broiler again for just under a minute. It is incredibly good, so flavorful, with the crusty bread on the outside, a soft bread interior, and gently warmed so all the flavors can mingle together.
This was lunch today, fresh from my garden.

The last of my odds and ends from this week is a little Snow Pea cutting from my garden. It is amazing those Snow Peas, how tenacious they are when struggling to climb a wire so they can reach the top. Once there, they are snatched away from their lofty perch for someone's lunch; however, this one will remain on my windowsill. Those still remaining on the vine will become seeds for next year.