Foodies Rejoice!

Thanks to radically varied landscapes, climates and natural waters, Oregon enjoys an astonishing bounty of wild and cultivated foods. Salmon, Dungeness crab, hazelnuts, pears and cherries are a few of the most famous edibles harvested and grown here. Then there is the bewildering variety of handcrafted wines, beer, spirits and cheeses. Such riches attract their own harvest in the form of gifted chefs. To give you a real taste of what makes Oregon's food scene so exciting, we asked seven chefs from around the state to share a recipe that epitomizes the foods and flavors of their region. The following pages introduce a sweet and savory taste tour of Oregon-just in time for the annual Oregon Bounty celebration this October and November. For more information about special culinary packages, promotions and events, please visit www.TravelOregon.com/Bounty.

Seared Wild Salmon with Roasted Pears, Mixed Greens and Blueberry Vinaigrette
Chef Ben Stenn, Celilo Restaurant and Bar

Salmon is almost synonymous with the Columbia River Gorge-as are orchards with the breezy little town of Hood River. At Celilo Restaurant, executive chef Ben Stenn pairs the iconic fish with roasted local pears and blueberries for this sweet and savory dinner salad. Serves 4

Blueberry Vinaigrette
  -½ pound Hood River blueberries (frozen or fresh if available)
  -¼ cup brandy
  -¼ cup rice vinegar
  -Salt and pepper to taste
Seared Wild Salmon with Roasted Pears, Mixed Greens
  -2 Hood River pears (Taylor's Gold or Comice if available)
  -Olive oil
  -A few sprigs fresh thyme
  -Salt and pepper
  -1 pound wild salmon fillet, cut into four pieces
  -Vegetable oil
  -½ pound mixed organic greens (mizuna, spinach and winter greens)

Prepare blueberry vinaigrette. In a small pot, cover half the blueberries with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Add brandy and rice vinegar and simmer for another 15 minutes. Puree berry mix in blender, return to warm pan and add remaining whole berries. Season to taste with salt and pepper and keep warm. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Meanwhile, peel, core and quarter pears. Toss with olive oil, fresh thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Place on sheet pan and roast for 20 minutes or until tender. While pears are roasting, heat vegetable oil in an oven-proof sauté pan until hot but not smoking. Season the salmon with more salt and pepper, place it in the hot pan and sear until fish has crisp, rusty crust, about five minutes. Transfer pan to oven and continue cooking until salmon is medium rare or cooked to taste, about 5-10 minutes. Toss greens in warm blueberry vinaigrette. Divide salad among four plates, leaving a little room on one side, and arrange pears on top. Place one piece of salmon alongside each salad. Serve immediately.

Celilo Restaurant and Bar 16
Oak St., Hood River
541.386.5710
www.CeliloRestaurant.com

Larks Pear Cobbler
Chef Damon Jones, Larks

Southern Oregon's Rogue Valley is so amenable to pears that Harry & David, one of the oldest and most successful mail-order fruit companies, still operates here after nearly 100 years. At Larks in the Ashland Springs Hotel, chef Damon Jones transforms the iconic fruit into the supreme comfort food: piping hot, juicy cobbler. His secret ingredient for turning less ripe pears into gold? Ginger ale.

Serves 7-8
For the pear filling
  -3 pounds Comice pears, peeled, cored and diced into 1-inch cubes
  -¼ teaspoon allspice
  -¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  -2 tablespoons lemon juice
  -1 teaspoon vanilla
  -Pinch of salt
  -¼ cup brown sugar
  -¼ cup sugar
  -2 tablespoons flour
  -1½ tablespoons cornstarch
  -¼ to 1, 12-ounce bottle ginger ale, as needed

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Toss pears together with above ingredients, using the smallest measure of ginger ale for very ripe fruit and the full bottle for hard, under-ripe pears. Scoop into individual 1½-cup ramekins until the pears are piled just above the rim. Bake until bubbly and thick for 20-30 minutes.

For the topping
  -¾ cup flour
  -1½ tablespoons cornstarch
  -3 tablespoons sugar
  -1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  -1/8 teaspoon salt
  -3 tablespoons melted butter
  -¼ cup buttermilk
  -1½ tablespoon freshly grated ginger (freeze peeled ginger first for easy grating)
  -¼ teaspoon vanilla

While the cobbler bakes, stir first five ingredients together in a medium bowl and set aside. In another small bowl, whisk together vanilla, buttermilk, ginger and butter. Add mixture to dry ingredients and mix gently until it sticks together. (If mix sticks to your hands, add dashes of flour, one at a time, until dough pulls away.) Form small balls of dough for each of the cobblers and press them into disks. When fruit is done baking, place one disk on top of each hot cobbler and return to oven until crusts are golden, about 10-15 minutes.

Larks Home Kitchen Cuisine
Ashland Springs Hotel
212 E. Main St.
Ashland, OR
888.488.5558
www.AshlandSpringsHotel.com

Foley Station Pepper Seared Beef & Tenderloin with Merlot and Dried Cherries
Chef Merlyn Baker, Foley Station

Eastern Oregon is known for its open skies, expansive ranches, enduring cowboy culture-and legendary beef. At Foley Station in La Grande, executive chef Merlyn Baker makes delicious use of the meaty harvest alongside other fine local ingredients like lamb, onions, wine and tree fruit. For this signature steak recipe, Baker uses dried local cherries from Cove, Zerba merlot from Oregon's Walla Walla Valley, and beef from Sexton Ranch in Haines.

Serves 6
  -½ cup dried cherries
  -6 six-ounce beef tenderloin filets
  -3-4 tablespoons cracked black peppercorns
  -Kosher salt, to taste
  -3 tablespoons canola oil
  -3 tablespoons drawn butter*
  -4 tablespoons shallots minced
  -1 cup Merlot
  -¾ cup strong chicken stock
  -¾ tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
  -6 tablespoons cold butter

To begin, place cherries in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for at least an hour. Season steaks with cracked pepper and salt. With a meat mallet or heavy pan, pound steaks to an even ¾-inch thick. Heat oil and drawn butter in a heavy skillet until it just begins to smoke. Sear steaks in pan on each side until just rare. Set steaks aside. Discard excess oil from pan. Return pan to stove and sauté shallots in the remaining oil. When shallots soften and start to caramelize, add wine, chicken stock and well-drained cherries.

Bring sauce to a simmer and reduce by half. Add parsley, followed by butter, stirring constantly until sauce returns to a simmer. Place filets in pan and resume simmering, basting and turning steaks as sauce thickens, about two minutes or until steaks are deep pink in the center when pierced with a knife. Place steaks on a serving plate and dress with sauce. Serve immediately. *To make drawn (or clarified) butter, melt over medium heat in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil until the milk solids separate and sink to the bottom of the pan. The clarified liquid is drawn butter. Ladle off for use and discard remaining solids.

Foley Station
1114 Adams
La Grande, OR
541.963.7473
www.FoleyStation.com

Roasted Venison Tenderloin with Jubelale Pan Jus
Chef Matt Neltner, Deschutes Brewery & Public House
Central Oregon's spectacular mountains and high-desert meadows are prolific with wildlife. The beauty and bounty attract sportsmen, hikers, campers and birders. Off trail, visitors flock to the Deschutes Brewery & Public House, where executive chef Matt Neltner makes good with the local edibles and renowned house brews. Roasted venison featuring the brewery's celebrated winter ale, Jubelale, epitomizes the region's outdoorsy spirit to mouthwatering effect. (When Jubelale is out of season, Neltner recommends the brewery's Black Butte Porter.)

Serves 4-6
  -1 whole, four-pound venison tenderloin
  -2 tablespoons olive oil
  -1 clove garlic, minced
  -1 shallot, minced
  -½ cup Deschutes Brewery Jubelale (or Deschutes Black Butte Porter)
  -4 cups beef stock
  -½ bunch fresh thyme, chopped
  -¼ cup smoked bacon, chopped
  -½ cup tomato, seeded and chopped
  -Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Trim tenderloin, and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large sauté pan and add olive oil. Sear tenderloin very well, turning every three minutes to get good color for a total of about nine minutes. Remove tenderloin from sauté pan, place in roasting pan and cook in oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and let cool for five minutes. Pour off excess grease from sauté pan and return to heat. Add Jubelale to pan, stir to deglaze and cook for one minute. Add beef stock and cook until reduced by half. Once stock is thickened, add remaining ingredients and season to taste. Slice tenderloin, dressing it with the sauce and garnishing with fresh herb sprigs.

Deschutes Brewery & Public House
1044 Bond St.
Bend, OR
541.382.9242
www.DeschutesBrewery.com

The Bay House Crab Cakes
Chef Matt Nesel, The Bay House
At The Bay House, coastal views are always on the menu, along with the restaurant's signature Dungeness crab cakes. Chef Matt Nesel shows off the shellfish by keeping it simple. "Not too much is added to the crabmeat in order to preserve the outstanding natural flavors of our local Dungeness crab," he says.

Serves 2-4
For Crab Cakes
  -12 ounces Dungeness crab meat, cleaned of shell and cartilage
  -4 tablespoons aioli (recipe below)
  -1 cup toasted and dried cornbread crumbs
  -¾ cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
  -Pinch salt
  -Pinch pepper
  -2 large eggs
  -2 tablespoons water For Aioli (preparation makes enough for several crab cake recipes)
  -1 egg yolk
  -½ small shallot, chopped
  -1 scant tbsp lemon juice
  -½ cup olive oil
  -1 tablespoon scallions, chopped
  -1 tablespoon chives, chopped
  -½ teaspoon tarragon, minced
  -Salt and pepper to taste
Aioli
Blend egg yolk, shallot and lemon juice in processor. With the machine running, slowly add olive oil to the mixture. Stop when it is the consistency of mayonnaise. Fold in herbs.


Crab Cakes
Combine crab and aioli in a bowl and mix by hand to an even consistency. Set aside. Process cornbread, pepitas, salt and pepper to a fine crumb. In another bowl, whisk together eggs and water. Using your hands, form the crab into four patties. Dip one patty at a time into the egg wash, then dip again in the crumb mixture, pressing lightly to coat entire surface.
To cook, place patties in sauté pan with two tablespoons clarified butter over low heat for about two minutes per side or until lightly browned. Finish in 375 degree F oven for four to five minutes.

The Bay House
5911 S.W. Hwy. 101
Lincoln City, OR
541.996.3222
www.TheBayHouse.org

Marché's Oregon Blue Cheese and Hazelnut Roll
Chef Stephanie Pearl Kimmel, Marché
Local, organically grown ingredients have become the hallmark of Oregon fine dining over the last decade. Among the movement's pioneers is Stephanie Pearl Kimmel, founding chef and owner of Marché in Eugene. Located in the heart of Oregon's lush Willamette Valley, this casually elegant restaurant enjoys the richest harvest of any region in the state, and arguably, the nation. Here, Kimmel showcases two regional food stars-artisan cheese and hazelnuts.

Serves 4-6
  -8 ounces cream cheese
  -5 ounces Oregon blue cheese
  -1 tablespoon finely minced shallot (the white part of scallion may be substituted)
  -2 ounces Oregon hazelnuts, toasted
  -1 baguette
  -Unsalted butter
  -2 Oregon pears

Place cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Crumble blue cheese over top. Leave cheeses to soften at room temperature. Meanwhile, finely mince shallot and set aside. Roughly chop hazelnuts, then continue chopping until you have a mix of coarse and powdery nut fragments. The varied sizes will lend crunch and coverage to the completed log. Set aside. When cheeses are softened, blend in a mixer with paddle attachment or mix by hand with a heavy wooden spoon. Add shallots and blend evenly into mix.

Lay an 18" x 12" piece of plastic wrap horizontally across a cutting board or counter. Spoon cheese mixture across the length of the plastic wrap in the shape of a log, leaving a couple inches of plastic at the left and right ends. Lift the flap of plastic nearest you up and over the cheese and roll into a log shape, twisting the ends closed. Refrigerate for several hours or more, allowing log to firm and the flavors to marry. Before serving, spread out a piece of parchment or waxed paper and place the chopped nuts in the center. Unwrap the cheese log and roll it in the nuts until they cover the surface. Use the finer bits to fill in any bare spots. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Slice baguette into thin slices, butter and toast on a baking sheet in hot oven until slightly golden.

Allow to cool. Core pears, slice into ¼-inch slices and toss with lemon juice. To serve, arrange the Oregon Blue Cheese log in the center of a platter and surround with baguette toasts and pear slices.

Marché
296 East Fifth Avenue
Eugene, OR
541.342.3612
www.MarcheRestaurant.com

Meriwether's Chanterelle Pinot Noir Soup with Cheddar and Chanterelle Sandwiches
Chef Earl Hook, Meriwether's
Oregon is a paradise for wine and mushroom lovers, especially fans of Pinot noir and apricot-scented, golden chanterelles. Executive chef Earl Hook of Meriwether's in Portland celebrates the autumn harvest with a soup and sandwich combo featuring both, plus a dose of Oregon cheddar in honor of the state's great cheese-making tradition. "The best Oregon cheddars-Tillamook Extra Sharp, Rogue River Gold and Bandon-are full of flavor and go well with Pinot noir."

Serves 6
For the soup:
  -1 pound fresh Chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned
  -1 quart rich chicken broth (homemade or the best quality you can find)
  -1 cup onion, finely diced
  -2 tablespoons garlic, finely diced
  -7 tablespoons butter
  -6 tablespoons flour
  -3 cups half and half
  -1 cup heavy cream
  -2 tablespoons salt
  -1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
  -2 tablespoons Pinot noir
  -1 tablespoon lemon juice
  -1 tablespoon chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
  -1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

Select six large mushrooms and set aside. Chop remaining mushrooms, including stems. Put chopped mushrooms, garlic and onion with chicken broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes. In another pan, melt 6 tablespoons butter and stir in flour. Stir with a wooden spoon over high heat for two minutes; do not allow the roux to brown. Remove from heat and add half and half to pan while whisking vigorously. Return pan to high heat and cook, stirring constantly until mixture is thick. Stir in heavy cream and mushroom mixture. Season with salt and white pepper. The soup may now be set aside to allow time for making sandwiches. When ready to serve, rewarm the soup and stir in Pinot noir. Slice reserved mushrooms and sauté quickly in remaining tablespoon of butter, adding lemon juice and a little salt to finish. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with sliced mushrooms, parsley and thyme.


For the sandwiches:
  -6 slices quality artisan bakery sourdough bread
  -8 ounces Oregon cheddar cheese, thinly sliced into 12 pieces
  -6 large Chanterelle mushrooms, sliced

Spread half of bread slices with softened butter and set buttered side down. Arrange two cheese slices on each piece of bread and layer with sliced mushrooms. Cover with remaining cheese, folding inward any edges that hang beyond the bread. Butter remaining bread slices and place, butter up, atop bread. In a cast-iron pan or griddle set at medium, grill sandwiches on each side until bread is golden and the cheese melted. Cut each sandwich in half to yield six pieces and serve with soup.

Meriwether's Restaurant
2601 N.W. Vaughn St.
Portland, OR
503.228.1250
www.MeriwethersNW.com