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Camas Plant and Garden Fair This Weekend

The 20th annual Camas Plant and Garden Fair continues to grow with more offerings, new vendors, and a variety of activities this Saturday, May 13 in downtown Camas from 9 am to 4 pm.

The event is always held the day before Mother’s Day, and provides a great opportunity to get into Spring.

Shoppers can browse through the products from local nurseries, garden artists, and farms. The annual event is filled with many outdoor gift items, such as trees, plants, garden art, furniture, planters, tools, metal art, hanging baskets, stone art, sculptures, herbs, and more.

While you shop, you can relax at one of many quality downtown Camas eateries and coffee houses.

The fair offers a free potting station where volunteers will help shoppers pot plants in containers purchased. Experts will be on hand to teach about plants and effective gardening techniques.

Visitors are encouraged to look for the Yellow Sun signs at designated booth locations to learn more about attracting birds and butterflies to your garden and other outdoor living spaces.

Children can enjoy the “Find the Ladybug” game, played throughout participating downtown businesses. Players can earn tickets to win a Family Gardening Basket for each ladybug found. The strolling Jugglemania Show will feature a giant rose puppet and themed juggling. The Kids’ Zone—open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.—will include seed planting, making Mother’s Day cards, painting ladybug rocks, a ladybug habitat, a worm bin, seed exploration, and kid-friendly garden planting ideas. Returning this year is the free petting zoo, open all day.

A new addition this year is the Birch Street Wine Garden, which will be open from noon to 4 pm at 311 NE Birch Street.

To learn more, visit www.cwplantfair.org

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Garden Bar Opens New Location

Portland, OR – Locally owned GARDEN BAR has opened their newest location at Hassalo on Eighth (1061 NE 9th Ave), bringing its fresh and healthy salad concept to the underserved Lloyd District area. GARDEN BAR plans to open additional locations this year, with the next being on SE Water Ave in early summer and a PSU location on 4th Avenue in late summer. The Hassalo on 8th restaurant is housed in 1500 sq. ft. at 1061 NE 9th Avenue and is Garden Bar’s first east side location. Hassalo on 8th is located in the fast-growing Lloyd District on the MAX Line and will be a LEED Platinum community.

“Like Garden Bar’s six other locations, we will be satisfying the need for healthier lunch options in Portland’s business districts.” said the company’s Marketing Director, Scott Hargrove. “It’s exciting that Portlanders are responding so positively to the GARDEN BAR concept,” said Ana Chaud. “It’s through their continued support that we are able to grow.”

GARDEN BAR isn’t just working on new restaurant locations.

“Over the next few months we will be layering in our mobile rover unit that will deliver our product to locations not served by one of our restaurants. We have also launched our fill-scale wholesale and catering division allowing customers to order our product for their events at home or at work. Our wholesale division is taking new clients interested in retailing the GARDEN BAR product to their customers”.

GARDEN BAR is currently at 7 locations throughout Portland.

Established in 2014 in Portland, Oregon, Garden Bar is a good destination for farm-fresh, handcrafted salads.

Their mission is: To give the underrated salad the love and respect it deserves. No limp iceberg lettuce. No sad tomatoes. No store-bought dressing. Only bountiful bowls of raw leafy greens tossed with locally sourced vegetables and fruits, fresh meats and cheeses, exceptional toppings and an array of our very own gourmet dressings.

Businesses interested in the GARDEN BAR wholesale program should contact Scott Hargrove ([email protected]) to discuss the opportunity.

Learn more at www.gardenbarpdx.com

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PNWonderful: Punchbowl Falls Hike Review

Hike the Eagle Creek Trail to Punchbowl Falls for a one-of-a-kind Northwest hike

by Haley Childers

Whether you’re a Pacifc Northwest native or just outdoorsy and looking for adventure, the Eagle Creek Trail to Punchbowl Falls is a definite must for the beginning of an adventurous summer. The Trail boasts incomparable views from tall heights that other trails don’t offer. Make sure you make it down to the water for a fun swim at the falls after your hike, and you’ll forget you ever huffed and puffed your way up there!

While you’ll only need to walk about 1 ½ miles in until you reach the break off trail which has a path leading down to the waterfall. The Eagle Creek Trail is actually the trailhead for about 6 other trails. Don’t be surprised if you run into PCT hikers passing through, as the trail ultimately leads to Mexico. Many PCT hikers like to divert from the usual course to take in the powerful views of the Eagle Creek Gorge.

A moderately easy hike, all you’ll need to bring with you is water, some snacks, and if you’ve worked up a sweat getting there, your swim trunks. Don’t forget your GoPro if you have one, as the waterfall at Punchbowl is far from standing ground; you can get some really fun pictures if you dare to swim to it. As for the trail, it would be wise not to bring your young kids with you. It is steep in some places, but the real concern is that there are cliffs on the side of the trail in certain areas, and for that reason it isn’t recommended to bring small children or pets with you.

What is amazing about the trail is that it was built in the early 1900s to preserve parkland areas in the Columbia River Gorge. Workers used dynamite to blast through the rock in certain areas and create the trail. Their work to protect the area from becoming industrialized made it possible for us to have access to incredible views that are incomparable to say the least.

Take caution where you park your car. While the trail is a popular one, it is known that cars are often broken into in the parking lot outside the trail. It is recommended to park in the lower parking lot near the fish hatchery because there is a park host there who supervises the area during the summer. Make sure you do what you can to protect your car: don’t leave any belongings or valuables, take ID information with you, and leave the doors unlocked to insure that the windows don’t get broken in.

Driving Directions to Punchbowl Falls

Eagle Creek Trailhead:  Traveling eastbound on I-84, take Exit #41. At the bottom of the ramp turn right. Go about 1/2 mile to the end of the road. You will go past a footbridge (that takes hikers up to Wauna Viewpoint) as the road narrows to one lane. Continue a short ways to a large parking lot; park only in designated spaces. NW Forest Pass required. Coming from the east, there is no westbound exit at Exit #41/Eagle Creek. You must continue on I-84 and get off at Exit #40/Bonneville Dam, get back on the interstate and head east for one mile to Exit #41. At the bottom of the ramp turn right. Go about 1/2 mile to the end of the road. You will go past a footbridge (that takes hikers up to Wauna Viewpoint) as the road narrows to one lane. Continue a short ways to a large parking lot; park only in designated spaces. NW Forest Pass required.

Punchbowl Falls

Driving Directions.

 

Punchbowl Falls

Photo by Haley Childers.

 

Punchbowl Falls

Photo by Haley Childers.

Punchbowl Falls

Photo by Haley Childers.

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A Yummy Summer Treat: Rhubarb Bars!

Rhubarb Bars

Rhubarb custard over a simple shortbread recipe make this a seasonal treat great for sharing!

Time: Approximately 1 hour

Oven Temperature: 350

Ingredients for Custard:

  • Rhubarb 5 average sized stalks
  • Water ¼ cup
  • Sugar 1 cup
  • Egg Yolk From 5 Large Eggs
  • Salt ½ teaspoon
  • Butter 2 teaspoons

Ingredients for Shortbread Base:

  • Butter 1 Stick
  • Flour 1 cup
  • Sugar ¼ cup
  • Salt Just a Pinch
  • Powdered Sugar For dusting

Rhubarb

Directions:

Start by washing and chopping rhubarb. Combine in a medium sized pot with ¼ cup water and ¼ cup sugar and slowly bring to a boil for about 10 minutes to create a puree. Blend using a food processor to remove stringy bits of remaining rhubarb.

With a double boiler, whisk together ¾ cup sugar, eggs, and salt until all ingredients are warm. Add and whisk in the pureed rhubarb. The color at this point will depend on how much rhubarb you used and how red it was originally.  

Add the butter and remove from heat, stirring occasionally.

For the shortbread, combine room temperature butter, flour, sugar, and salt and stir to create loose crumbs. Use your hands to create a solid mass of dough that you can press into a 9 x 5 or 8 x 8 baking dish.  Let this sit for 10 minutes, then bake for 20-25 minutes until edges are golden.

Pour the rhubarb curd over the baked shortbread so it is about ½ inch tall (you will probably have extra). Bake for another 12-15 minutes.

Let cool to room temperature, dust with powdered sugar and serve!

Article and photos by Haley Childers.

 

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Rhubarb

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Rhubarb

Rhubarb

Rhubarb

 

 

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In Time for Summer: Beacon Rock Reopens

Closed since February due to damage from a major storm, the Beacon Rock State Park Trail was recently reopened to hikers on May 14th, just in time for summer hiking.

Beacon Rock gives an unparalleled view of the Columbia River Gorge. Hikers can now enjoy the mild, albeit steep, walk up the trail along with the rich history of the Gorge.

Beacon Rock

Beacon Rock, from the bottom of the trail. Photo by Haley Childers.

About Beacon Rock

The historic rock is the remains of the core of an ancient volcano, and was rumored to have been bought in 1915 for only $1.

Beacon Rock is truly a Gorge icon, not to be missed! It is an easy, straight-forward climb with wonderful views in all directions from the top.

Two miles round trip from the base of the Rock to the top and back down; 600′ of elevation. The climb can be done year round, but use caution when conditions are unusually cold, wet, icy or windy. The grade on the trail is gradual with railings all the way up across 17 bridges and 54 switchbacks.

Beacon Rock State Park is located in Washington State, 35 miles east of Vancouver, Washington. The park is a 4,650-acre year-round camping park, which includes 9,500 feet of Columbia River freshwater shoreline. Henry J. Biddle purchased the rock in order to build a trail to the top. The trail was built, and in 1935 his heirs turned the rock over to the state for use as a park. Additional development was done by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Elevations: The River at this point is about 15′ above sea level. The trailhead is at 250′ and the top of the Rock is at 848′.

For more information, check out the Beacon Rock Climbing Association on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/BeaconRockClimbingAssociation/

Article and photos by Haley Childers.

 

Beacon Rock

Photo by Haley Childers.

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Easy Recipes: Roasted Asparagus & Strawberries

Local and In Season Recipes

by Haley Childers

Springtime in the Northwest cannot be beat. The mild afternoon rain showers and ensuing sunsets are only succeeded by the great local produce we get to enjoy this time of year. Some early season produce includes asparagus, strawberries, and rhubarb, so give these recipes a try for a different spin on some of your favorites.

Easy Roasted Asparagus with Strawberries and Balsamic Reduction

A great appetizer or side dish!

Time: Approximately 15 minutes

Oven Temperature: 400

Ingredients:

Asparagus: 1 Pound

Strawberries: 8-10

EVOO: 2 Tablespoons

Balsamic Glaze: About 2 Tablespoons

Directions:

After washing your asparagus, put it on a foil covered baking sheet and drizzle the olive oil before baking for 10 minutes or until tender.

While the asparagus cooks, wash and slice the strawberries.

Once your asparagus is ready, combine with strawberries and drizzle balsamic glaze over the top.

If you don’t have balsamic glaze, you can create your own reduction by combining 1 ½ cups of a cheap, store bought balsamic vinegar with ½ cup of brown sugar or 3 tablespoons honey and boiling them together (whilst stirring) for about 10 minutes.

Try topped with fresh basil!

Photos by Haley Childers

Visit haley-childers-photo.com

Roasted Asparagus

Roasted Asparagus

Fresh strawberries enhance the experience.

 

Roasted Asparagus

Easy Roasted Asparagus with Strawberries and Balsamic Reduction.

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Pine Shed Ribs Offers Gourmet S’more Kits

For Pine Shed Ribs, Father’s Day is the pinnacle event of the summer. That’s why owners Matt Ramey and Jenni Peterson are encouraging customers to get orders in now for a barbecue feast that’s sure to please any Dad or grad. The Family Barbecue Dinner ($40-$46) is the most popular item for the holiday, with a choice of two smoked meats, such as the Santa Maria-style tri-tip or the house-made smoked pork link, along with corn bread and two large side orders.

The warmer temperatures mean that the patio has become the perfect spot to be for large gatherings, especially families. House pastry chef Rachel Florip has been busy crafting s’more kits, and Matt has been piling up wood for the fire pit. The $6 kits include hand-made graham crackers smothered with chocolate, and from-scratch marshmallows. The restaurant loans out telescoping roasting sticks to achieve ideal toasting perfection. S’more kits may also be ordered for take-out with 24-hours’ notice.

Father’s Day/grads orders are now accepted via the restaurant’s online order form at www.pineshedribs.com, or by calling 503-635-7427. The restaurant will be open from noon to 6 pm (or until sold out) for dining in or order pick-up on Sunday, June 19.

About Pine Shed Ribs

Pine Shed Ribs serves up a Pacific Northwest interpretation of Santa Maria-style tri-tip barbecue, featuring an intimate bar/dining room and expansive shaded patio. The restaurant is located at 17730 Pilkington Rd, Lake Oswego, OR, 97035. For take-out or catering, please call 503-635-7427.

Pine Shed

The Pine Shed fire pit is open for business.

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Spring Menu Arrives at Nel Centro, in Time for Mother’s Day

PORTLAND, Ore. – There are plenty of ways to treat mom at Nel Centro this Mother’s Day.  In support of Portland Opera’s “The Magic Flute” opening at the Keller Auditorium, bar manager Nathanial Stout has created an eponymous cocktail made with Nardini Acqua di Cedro, grapefruit bitters and Prosecco, served in a champagne flute.  The drink will be available starting Wednesday, May 5th and continue through the entire month.

In his new menu, executive chef John Eisenhart takes advantage of the abundance of spring ingredients now hitting the market.

New dinner items include:

  • Tortelli with English peas and lemon
  • Black pepper tagliatelle with speck, fava beans and Pecorino Toscano
  • English pea agnolotti with Dungeness crab and fines herbes
  • Lamb shank with couscous, asparagus and Parmigiano Reggiano
  • Northwest halibut with black barley salad and lemon olive vinaigrette

Mother’s Day Brunch highlights include:

  • Brioche French toast with lemon curd and crème fraîche
  • Steelhead cakes with poached eggs and black pepper hollandaise
  • Florentine omelet with spinach, mushrooms, and goat cheese
  • Rotisserie chicken salad with hazelnuts and grapes
  • Quiche Lorraine with mesclun greens

Brunch Cocktails:

  • Blood orange bellini with Prosecco and blood orange purée
  • Nel Centro Bloody Mary with New Deal vodka and San Marzano tomatoes

Mother’s Day Brunch reservations are available by calling 503-484-1099.

Nel Centro is located in the heart of the downtown Portland at 1408 SW Sixth Avenue adjacent to Hotel Modera. Classic dishes of Northern Italy and Southeast France meet David Machado’s passion for culinary tradition and locally sourced, seasonal food. For more information and menu, please visit nelcentro.com.

Nel Centro

Bar manager Nathanial Stout has created an eponymous cocktail made with Nardini Acqua di Cedro, grapefruit bitters and Prosecco, served in a champagne flute.

 

Nel Centro

Tagliatelle

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The Dalles: Top 6 Springtime Activities

Springtime in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area is a place of natural wonder and fun for the whole family. Here are six diverse ways to experience spring in and around The Dalles:

Northwest Cherry Festival at The Dalles

Experience authentic Oregon at the Northwest Cherry Festival (April 22-24, 2016). Now in its 37thyear, this popular festival showcases The Dalles’ deep agricultural roots and Western roots. This year’s theme, “Highway to Cherrytown,” is a nod to the Historic Columbia River Highway’s Centennial celebration. Festivities include the Gorge’s biggest parade, classic car, a 10k running race, pony rides, Davis Show’s Carnival, and lots of local music. And of course, there’s also cherry sampling with the Oregon Cherry Growers. The festival culminates with the crowning of Festival King Bing and Queen Anne.

Springtime Wildflowers

Immerse yourselves in wildflowers. Head out right now to see the spectacular wildflowers that are painting the Gorge, which is home to 15 wildflowers found nowhere else and to over 800 species overall. Don’t miss the fantastic display at Tom McCall Preserve, a Nature Conservancy site with two short (one- and two-miles) hikes and spectacular views of the Gorge.

Historic Columbia River Highway

Take on the Historic Columbia River Highway during its centennial year. The Historic Columbia River Highway was America’s first scenic highway, and 2016 marks 100 years since it was dedicated at Multnomah Falls in 1916. Motorists, motorcyclists and cyclists will love the final, iconic section of the 73-mile long Historic Highway, between Mosier and The Dalles. It includes amazing views and spring wildflowers at Rowena Crest’s Tom McCall Preserve, and memorable descent into The Dalles via the Rowena Curves – featured in numerous car commercials.

 

Gorge Highway

The Columbia River Gorge Highway celebrates its 100 anniversary.

Go Fish

The eastern end of the Gorge is an angler’s paradise. It hosts some of the greatest fishing around with easy access to several major rivers such as the Klickitat, Deschutes, John Day, and the Columbia. The Dalles Pool, which stretches from The Dalles Dam upstream to the John Day Dam is home to the Pacific Northwest’s best walleye fishery. If your angling for Cohoe and Chinook salmon, then the Spring and Fall runs on the Columbia will not disappoint but if you are looking for a River Monster Adventure then you need to try your luck with the allusive Sturgeon that reside on the bottom of the Columbia River.

Explore Winery Scene

Explore the Gorge’s winery scene during Gorge Wine Experience (April 29-May 1, 2016). This three-day Gorge wine immersion experience brings together wine lovers, winemakers, vignerons and local cuisine and celebrates everything that makes Gorge wine exceptional. More than 25 themed wine activities throughout the Gorge over one weekend will let wine enthusiasts to see all sides of Gorge wine and meet the faces behind the labels. The Dalles area includes many award-winning wineries, including Maryhill Winery and Jacob Williams Winery. For full details and tickets, go to columbiagorgewine.com.

Bird Watching

Discover why The Dalles is Oregon’s best kept secret for discovering our fine feathered friends. From the east side of Mount Hood to The Dalles is where you will find tree-lined trails providing the best riverside birding in the county. Species seen here include Greater White-fronted Geese, Wood Duck, Canvasback, Grebes, Osprey, shorebirds, many species of gulls, Common Tern, Caspian Tern, Western Kingbird, American Pipit, and Cedar Waxwing, to name a few. A great activity for all ages! Don’t forget the amazing Raptor Shows at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Wasco County Museum for an up-close encounter with the birds of prey of the Gorge.

 

 

 

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Arrosto Rostisserie Opens Wednesday

PORTLAND, OR – Pastaworks at Providore Fine Foods will open its Mediterranean-inspired Rotisserie on Wednesday, April 13th at 11:30 a.m. serving slow-roasted, free-range, antibiotic-free chickens rubbed with lemon and rosemary oil. The menu includes options from whole bird to a quarter bird with or without sides, which include the Arrosto Potatoes, Arrosto Salad and a slab of Pastaworks’ focaccia. Prices range from $10-27, and meals can be ordered at the convenient walk-up window facing Providore’s parking lot on the west side of the building. Dining is take-out or available to eat at inside or outside tables. Wine, beer and non-alcoholic beverages are also available for purchase. The window’s regular hours will be from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

“My husband Kevin de Garmo and I have long been obsessed with the rotisserie chickens we devoured on our travels along Italy’s Ligurian coast,” said Kaie Wellman, co-owner of Providore Fine Foods and Pastaworks. “When we first saw the building that’s become Providore, we knew we finally had the right space to open the rotisserie.”

Arrosto Menu:

Chickens (free-range, antibiotic-free, rubbed with lemon and rosemary oil)

  • Whole Bird plus all sides $28 without sides $20
  • Half Bird (breast, wing, thigh and leg) plus all sides $18, without sides $14
  • Quarter Bird (one breast wing, one thigh or leg) with sides $12, without sides $8

Sides (a la carte)

  • Arrosto Salad – baby arugula, escarole and radicchio with shaved pecorino romano, herb crumbs and a lemon anchovy vinaigrette. Small $4, Large $10
  • Arrosto Potatoes – potatoes roasted in chicken drippings. Small $2.50, Large $8
  • Pastaworks’ Focaccia – popular housemade focaccia with sea salt and rosemary. Eight slab $2.50, Quarter slab $4

About Providore Fine Foods

Hand-crafted pasta, briny oysters, grass-fed meat, small-farm produce and buttery croissants are just a few of the delicious edibles to be found at Providore Fine Foods, a European-style specialty market in Portland, Oregon, from the owners of Pastaworks. As the new flagship location for the 33-year old Pastaworks, Providore Fine Foods has gathered a group of Portland’s finest food purveyors to share the 5,000-square foot building once home to an automobile showroom.  The new marketplace brings local, regional and international culinary provisions under one roof, including pasta, cheese, prepared foods, dried goods, chocolates and candy, wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages at Pastaworks, roast chickens at Arrosto, local, sustainable seafood and meat from Flying Fish Company + Oyster Bar and The Meat Monger, unique local produce at Rubinette Produce, innovative breads and pastries at Little T Baker, and botanical floras at Emerald Petals.

Providore Fine Foods is located at 2340 NE Sandy Boulevard, Portland, OR 97232. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. For more information, menus, classes and tastings, please visit www.providorefinefoods.com.

City Market NW is the sister location for Providore Fine Foods and is located at 735 NW 21st Avenue, Portland, OR 97209. For more information and hours, please visit the website.

 

Arrosto

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