An Apple A Day - Brie, Apple & Arugula Quesadillas

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Photo: Gentyl & Hyers; Styling: Kendra Smoot

I'm still finding ways to use up the bussel of apples collected from our heirloom trees.  Here's what's for dinner tonight served with artisan hard cider from Finn River Cidery.

Brie, Apple, and Arugula Quesadillas
(Source: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/brie-apple-arugula-quesadillas-10000002012792/)
Kathy Farrell-Kingsley, Cooking Light OCTOBER 2010

1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard

2 teaspoons apple cider

3 (10-inch) flour tortillas

6 ounces Brie cheese, rind removed and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, divided

1 Fuji apple, cored and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 1/2 pound), divided

3 cups arugula, divided

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

1. Combine mustard and cider in a small bowl; stir well.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spread each tortilla with about 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard mixture. Place 1 tortilla, mustard side up, in pan. Arrange one-third of cheese slices over half of tortilla; cook 1 minute or until cheese begins to melt. Arrange one-third of apple slices over cheese; top with 1 cup arugula. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Fold tortilla in half; press gently with a spatula. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure twice with remaining 2 tortillas, cheese, apple slices, 2 cups arugula, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges.

Some like muscles - others like mussels

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Image from Penn Cove Shellfish

One of the greatest pleasures of living in the Pacific Northwest

is having delicious and fresh fish and seafood right at hand.

I wasn't much of a mussel eater until I moved here and had a bowl of

PENN COVE MUSSELS.

Penn Cove Mussels are those to which all others are compared when it comes to taste!  Harvested by Penn Cove Shellfish in Coupeville, Washington on Whidbey Island.  So very yummy - there are no other words to describe this delicacy.

Being a Northwest girl now, I have an arsenal of recipes featuring these little devils.  One of my husband's favorites is Mussels in a Spicy Tomato Sauce simply served with crusty bread to sop up the juice and a glass of red wine.  Add to it a beautiful pink & purple sunset over the water and past the mountains and you have heaven on earth.

Simple ingredients mostly available in your pantry.

Cook and serve in a paella pan - very festive.

The recipe I use is from one of Lidia's cookbooks. 

If you don't know Lidia, you haven't had real Italian cooking

(unless of course you happen to be lucky to have

dined in my mother's kitchen).

I recommend any of Lidia's cookbooks if you want to learn

authentic Italian cooking.  She also has cooking

shows on the PBS channel.

Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen

This is my dear dad eating his second bowl of spicy mussels.
He had three bowls in total (over 4 pounds)!
He's an eating machine!  The greatest complement you can
give the cook is to ask for seconds and especially thirds!!

Mussels in Spicy Tomato Sauce
(Source: Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Bastianich)

2 pounds mussels, preferrable cultivated from Penn Cove Farms in Washington State
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 cloves garlic, sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes (halved) or 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper
1 cup dry white wine
10 large fresh basil leaves, shredded
salt to taste

1.  Clean and debeard mussels as needed.  Remember to discard any mussels that are not closed shut or do not close when tapped.
2.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet - a paella pan is perfect for this dish and presents nicely on the table.  Add garlic and cook, shaking the pan until golden (about 3 minutes).  Slide the tomatoes into the skillet and stir in the oregano and red pepper.  Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down (about 5 minutes).
3.  Stir the mussels into the skillet, then pour in the wine.  Bring to a boil, cover the pot, and cook just until the mussels are opened (about 3-5 minutes).  Do not overcook or the mussels will be tough.
4. Stir in the basil.  Add salt to taste.
5.  Discard any mussels with unopened shells.  Serve with crusty bread to sop up the juice.


I can hear my grandmother's voice still ringing in my ears. "Tutti a tavola a mangiare!  Mangia!  Mangia!"

Hurry Up and Wait

Pin It Blogging today from my phone. How cool is that?! Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks :)

Since living in the Pacific Northwest I've learned the lesson of patience while driving. There are many opportunities to learn this lesson - the wait lines for the ferries, while waiting for the various draw bridges to close, or even while waiting for a metro bus or lite-rail. Here we are today waiting yet again on the Hood Canal Bridge while a submarine passes by. I no longer am flustered by the extra 30 - 60 minutes added to my travel schedule. I relish it! I carry a set of knitting needles and a bottle of water & treats for Maggie, and then sit back and enjoy the view. Where else can you watch the sunset over the snowcapped Olympic mountains while a US naval submarine provides a glorious show?

Olympic National Park - A Land of Contrasts and Variety

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Photo Courtesy of the National Park Service

These majestic mountains reside in my backyard!

I wake up every morning to see them glistening in the distance.

In a short 20 mile drive, I can be in the Olympic National Park.

Who's a lucky girl?!

The Olympic National Park is surely the most diverse of all of our grand national parks.  Within its boundaries are miles of coastal and tide lands, the largest old-growth forest with trees over 1000 years old, temperate rain forests, hot water springs, sub alpine meadows and magnificent glaciers.

Map of Olympic National Park (courtesy of gorp.com)

One of my favorite hikes is at Hurricane Ridge located 17 miles straight up the mountain from Port Angeles.  It is a favorite of our guests who have made the trek.This past week, while my dad was in the dentist's chair in Port Angeles, my mother and I took a drive up the mountain - I thought you might enjoy seeing photos of our little adventure.



Top: Photos of the drive up the mountain. Snow started only a few miles up.
Bottom: 'Looks like Christmas!' Deer nibbling the new growth along the road.



View of Straight of Juan de Fuca and Vancouver Island in the distance.
Tidbit: At 7,980 feet, Mount Olympus is the highest peak
 in Olympic National Park and has the third largest
glacial system in the contiguous U.S.



Even though there was snow everywhere, it was a beautiful day at the crest.
My mother wanted to take in the sun so I attempted to wheel her up the path,
but alas we only made it a short distance.  We saw two guys strapping on
skis for a back-woods downhill adventure.  Woo hoo!!



I  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE  our national parks!! 

If you are not familiar with our National Park Service, check it out.  Chances are there is a national park, forest or monument close to you. 

This is what Hurricane Ridge looks like in July and August - wild flowers replace the snow!
Tidbit: 95 percent of Olympic National Park is designated as Wilderness.



2011 Fee-Free Days:  April 16-24, June 21, September 24, November 11-1

Many of the 394 our national parks NEVER charge an entrance fee.

Reduced fee passes

Annual pass (one year from date of issue): $80

Senior Lifetime Pass: $10 (62+ years)

Disabilities Pass:  Free

Volunteer Pass:  Free (500+ hours of service)



If you find yourself in Seattle, perhaps departing for a cruise to Alaska, consider staying an extra week or two so that you can venture out to the Olympic Peninsula and the Olympic National Park.  Guaranteed to be a highlight of your adventure to the Pacific Northwest!



Linking up to: TidyMom

It's Earth Day - Hug A Tree!

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Trees

by Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918)

I THINK that I shall never see

A poem as lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

I don't consider myself a tree hugger, not in the sense that is typically associated with the term anyway.  However, I have been known to put my arms around and delight in a few trees on Otter Hill.  My favorite of all is the Madrona tree that sits in the very center of the property like a regal queen amongst her subjects.  She wasn't always so beautiful though.  When we acquired Otter Hill, Miss Madrona was very sad and neglected.  Previous tenants had built a bonfire at her base and she is badly scarred.  The wild blackberry bushes were encrouching and strangling the life out of her.  With tender care and gentle hands, my husband and my mother nurtured her back to life.  Now, Miss Madrona sparkles and sings her praises to heaven with her outstretched arms.  The animals take delight in her.  Our guests take delight in her.  Every day I sit and enjoy her beauty, and occassionally I give her a big hug.



With each passing day that I take in the breath of life, I am more and more in awe of the God's creation - this planet we call Earth.  Living a country life on the Island has a way of putting one more in touch with all of God's living things.  I suppose with age also comes maturity and new appreciation for the many blessings received.  I no longer take Mother Earth for granted.  I respect her and her offspring - even a simple Madrona tree. 


Madrona twins (left)
A Hawthorne tree, right outside of my studio, is believed to provide a portal for fairies.
Pine twins (right)

My resolution at the start of this year was to be a better steward of the many blessings Our Lord has bestowed on me - to waste less, to live life more fully, and to be a blessing to someone each and every day (see original post here).  Today, Earth Day, I reconfirm my resolution to honor God by living a more sustainable life - to move from a consuming economy to a conserving economy - and sharing my learnings with you.


Vintage fruit trees that bear delicious apples and pears.
They are favored by the coyotes and deer.



A grove of pines and cedars that provide a canopy over our fire pit.
Jacob's tree (below)



Tall, old-growth majestics frame the snow-capped Olympic Mountains in the distance.
An eagle sits high above overlooking the bay.

Rejoice in God's creations - Hug a tree today!



But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In His Hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.  - Job 12:7-10 NIV



Evening Inspiration

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It's a calm and gentle evening here

in the Pacific Northwest.

A nice ending to a beautiful day.

The birds are singing their songs.

I wonder where the cayote lies.

Sometimes he beds in the brush near the apple tree.

Maggie is taking in all of the evening news

on the island as she sniffs the air.

The sun gently warms my toes as it too takes to bed.

I sip a cup of warm tea and think about

a design for this week's Get Sketchy Challenge.

Something with aqua blue - the color of the sky to the north.

Something with a bird like the one singing in the tree.

Something for Easter perhaps.

An Easter treasure from The Graphics Fairy.
Isn't she wonderful?!

Pull some lace from my sewing basket ...

And some felt and a button too ...

A piece of paper from my scrap binder ...

Need something round  - a doily - yes that will do nicely ...

Clip Clip ... Snip Snip ...

A little glue here and here and there ...

Taa Daa ....

May the glory and the promise of this joyous time of year

Bring peace and happiness to you

and those you hold most dear,

And may Christ, Our Risen Saviour,

always be there by your side

To bless you most abundantly

and be your loving guide.

Linking Up To: Razamataz - Outdoor Photo Challenge   and

    



March Madness in Seattle

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This is what March Madness looks like in Seattle!

Wild King Salmon from Alaska baked on a cedar plank
with roasted vegetables

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese



During the month of March, thirty of Seattle's finest restaurants

host March Madness menus  -  3-course dinners for a mere $30.

This includes selections for appetizer, entrée, and dessert.

Many of the restaurants also offer lunch for $15.

Read more about it here.

To celebrate our wedding anniversary, my parents

treated us to a sunset dinner at Six Seven located

in the luxurious Edgewater Hotel.

The Edgewater Hotel famously hosted the Beatles in 1964

when the photo on the left was taken of them

fishing from their suite! 

You can read more about the Beatles visit here.

What a fabulous dinner we had!

My belly was hurting from all the goodness!

I hope you are able to one day visit Seattle and enjoy some tasty delights at the Edgewater Hotel!

Discovering Discovery Park

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Notice anything different about me today?

I'm wearing

SUNGLASSES  and NO COAT!!!!

Wooo hooo !!!

What a beautiful day it was in the Pacific Northwest today.

The perfect day to discover Discovery Park in Seattle.

I grabbed Maggie and left my chores for a later time.

Maggie was soooooo excited!!!

A 3-mile hike at Discovery Park.

We were in search of a nurse log -

a fallen tree which, as it decays, provides ecological facilitation to seedlings.

I'm sure there are nurse logs in Discovery Park but we didn't find any.

But we did find these little beauties ...

And these sweet cherry blossoms

And these magnificant views of the Olympic Mountains



And the Puget Sound.



Even 'The Mountain" - Mount Ranier - was out!

Of the dozens of cities in the many countries I have lived and worked in,

when the sun is out, Seattle and the

Pacific Northwest are by far the most beautiful.

Wishing you a warm and sunny hike as beautiful as mine!

Update:  Linking up to
Razamataz for the Friday Pet Photo Challenge