summer eats Archives - Pechluck's Food Adventures

Shallow Seas Rosé and a Smoky Corn Side Dish recipe

September 10, 2018 by Pechluck 6 Comments

It’s September 10, and I don’t know how the time flew by so fast! I hope everyone had a fantastic summer, and that we are enjoying these last long days of sunshine before we are back to Portland winter weather and getting the much needed rains after this hot and dry summer. I am trying to get in as many more days of dinners on the outside front porch as I can, and I have a really amazing rosé wine I’ve enjoyed a couple times that I wanted to recommend to you. The Shallow Seas Rosé from Real Nice Winemakers, is a local wine that has really stood out this summer from multiple rosés I have had – I’ve brought it twice to two different parties with many foodies as attending guests, and at both parties, it was a huge hit.

Shallow Seas Rose from Real Nice Winemakers

The Shallow Seas Rosé has an AVA that is 100% Willamette Valley, sourced from Hyland Vineyard, Olsen Family Vineyard, and Westmount Vineyard. I first had it in the spring where I brought it to a friend’s birthday party and we paired the wine with roast pig and other side potluck dishes, including my smoky corn side dish that I’ll share the recipe shortly.

Shallow Seas Rosé with roast pork and smoky corn? Yes, it is an unusual pairing I know but it worked because this rosé is a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Riesling, and has a beautiful blush pink color. The Riesling grapes in the blend gives this rosé and extra acidity and minerality that paired well with the crispy skin of this Chinese roast pig and smokey corn. These crisp flavors ground the slightly sweet strawberry and peach of the wine, and is what makes it stand out so much from most rosés and pair excellently with a wide variety of dishes. With an SRP of $18 it’s also incredible value too.

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Filed Under: Food and Drink Tagged With: #realnicewinemakers, #shallowseas, Anthony Van Nice, corn salad, corn side dish, easy recipe, Oregon Wine, PDX Wine, Portland Wine, potluck party, potluck recipe, Real Nice Winemakers, recipe, rosé wine, Shallow Seas Rose, Simple Recipe, smokey corn, smoky corn, summer eats, summer recipe, Willamette Valley wine

Tortellini Corn and Tomatoes Salad

August 13, 2018 by Pechluck 4 Comments

Besides strawberries,which I’ve already written about a couple weeks ago with two new recipes, the other summer bounty I love so much is summer corn and tomatoes. This recipe for Tortellini Corn and Tomatoes Salad is my favorite go to during summer and fall to really showcase both these ingredients and letting them shine.

Fresh corn during the summer has a wonderful sweetness that you just can’t beat if you are able to get your ears quickly after they are picked. Cook them how you’d like – Grilled is my favorite but I also provide an optional cheat to add a little sear and smokiness if for convenience you steam or boil them instead, or you want to use niblets to save yourself cutting them from the cob.

As for tomatoes, the ones you get from the Farmers Market are the best – you can get all sorts of different heirloom varieties you may never see at your regular grocery store. This recipe leaves the tomatoes raw and asks for grape tomatoes but you can easily substitute larger tomatoes – I just like grape tomatoes more so they can burst in your mouth as fun texture.

Even better, this batches up really well making it perfect for picnics and potlucks with a larger group, and can be served cold or room temperatures.
Tortellini Corn and Tomatoes Salad recipe, an easy summer recipe that takes advantage of the fresh taste of summer corn while its sweet and heirloom tomatoes at their juiciest and is perfect for a picnic, potluck, and can be served cold or room temperature
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Filed Under: Cooking, Food and Drink Tagged With: #MeatlessMonday, cooking, corn salad, easy cooking, easy recipe, grape tomatoes, meatless monday, party recipe, pasta salad, potluck recipe, recipe for a group, Recipe for a party, summer corn, summer eats, summer recipe, summer salad, summer tomatoes, tomato salad, Tortellini Corn and Tomatoes Salad, Tortellini salad, vegetarian recipe

Oregon Strawberries in the Summer

July 16, 2018 by Pechluck 8 Comments

Every year, in the state of Oregon, there is the anticipation and then the lines in the morning (including people lining up even before the Portland Farmers Market opens) for the famous Hood Strawberries. They only have a season of a few weeks in June, but are so sweet, red, and juicy and clearly, people think so worth it. But of course Hoods are not the only strawberries Oregon has to offer. Let’s look at some more Oregon Strawberries in the Summer. Overall, I truly do believe after eating strawberries in many a state that Oregon strawberries truly are the best. Unlike other states, they spend a long time on the plant that distinguishes Oregon strawberries overall from other strawberries, and they are more sweet thanks to our season of warm days and cool nights and plenty of rain.

Oregon Strawberries at the Portland Farmers Market.

About Oregon Strawberries

Last month at the Portland Farmers Market at PSU, the Oregon Strawberry Commission had a stand at the market. Visitors were invited to taste four kinds of strawberries, and then with a sticker vote for their favorites. In the running that day included the varieties of (with some photos to show the comparison when they cut up):

Sweet Ann: this relatively new varietal of has a firm shape that is a little more elongated (for instance, versus the more heart shaped photogenic Seascape, or the rounder Hoods) and a berry flavor that is not too sweet or tart and a medium firm texture. You may find these around all summer.
Shuksan: these strawberries are among the first to appear in the market in mid to late May. With its more firm texture they are better for heat and freezing then Hoods which make them great for preserves and jams, baking, or let them soak with a little balsamic vinegar and sugar (a tablespoon per cup or two of strawberries) and pour them over desserts, or you can use them to make strawberry bruschetta. These I think had the best aroma of the four I tried here.
Seascape: these have a longer season from late May to September – which means you can still get them now! – and have the best looking shape I think because it is a bit more firm then the others varietals (except for Albions, and many California strawberries you may find at the chain grocery stores, California has bred its strawberries to be a lot of firmer to stand up to shipping). The Seascapes has good body but not too hard. This is the type that I used in the two recipes I share below, and have a bit of tartness along with the sweetness.
Hood: very sweet thanks to high sugar content, but are best uncooked since they are more fragile and can get mushy easily. I like them with cream, , and in ice cream, and even when they aren’t looking as pretty I just muddle them in a cocktail. They have a brief 2-3 week period when they are available may be among the most famous variety of the Oregon strawberries. Hood Strawberries are delicate so can’t withstand shipping long distances, and are always on sale to you within a day of being picked because they ripen so quickly. Hood Strawberry season is over now (though you may find it frozen or in jams and such)

Voting results!

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Filed Under: Cooking, Food and Drink, Portland Farmers Market, Portland Highlights Tagged With: cooking, easy recipe, hood strawberries, Oregon Strawberries, Oregon Strawberries season, Oregon strawberry, Oregon strawberry season, Oregon Strawberry varietals, Oregon Strawberry Varieties, picnic recipes, potluck recipes, potluck with strawberries, recipe, Seascape Strawberries, strawberry farro salad, Strawberry recipe, strawberry ricotta sandwich, strawberry salad, strawberry sandwich, strawberry seasonal availability, strawberry tea sandwich, summer eats, summer recipe, summer strawberries, teatime with strawberries

DIY Smoothie Bowl Party

July 10, 2018 by Pechluck 5 Comments

Earlier in the spring, I attended an event sponsored by The Feed Feed and Bob’s Red Mill. It was a brunch event that included a DIY Smoothie Bowl Bar, and I loved this idea! I can’t imagine anything more suitable as a theme for a really memorable and fun summer party then a DIY Smoothie Bowl Party – no more having to stand in front of a hot grill with burgers (although that can be good too). For really hot summer days though, and/or for a healthy party, here’s how to put together a cool summer brunch! This idea would be so original for a wedding or baby shower too.
DIY Smoothie Party with The Feed Feed, Bob's Red Mill, and Lauren Chandler

The setup is simple: two pitchers, and two squeeze bottles, each filled with a different colored smoothie. In this event, we had a Rhubarb Smoothie as one option, and a Spicy Greens Smoothie enriched with Vanilla Protein Powder Booster, but it’s your choice what flavors and colors you would like for your two smoothies. The intent of the two smoothies is to offer two options of contrasting colors that can make it more fun for each guest to decorate their smoothie bowls.
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Filed Under: Cooking, Food and Drink Tagged With: brunch ideas, brunch party, cooking, DIY bar, DIY brunch, DIY party, DIY smoothie bar, DIY Smoothie Bowl Party, party ideas, recipe, smoothie bar, smoothie bowls, smoothie brunch, summer bar, summer eats, summer party

Burrasca Gnudi

August 10, 2016 by Pechluck 3 Comments

Burrasca used to be a Tuscan food cart until in 2015 it closed the cart after a successful Kickstarter and emerged as a brick and mortar at 2032 SE Clinton Street. Since then, this family owned, humble, little warm homey neighbohood restaurant has expanded their Florentine food offerings from the pasta to include some unusual authentic appetizers you normally don’t see and some hearty mains. When there are slightly cooler summer days like what we have been having, I think of them – and you should too. Or honestly, if you’re thinking of gnocchi – get yourself here!
Burrasca, offering Tuscan Soul Food, Handmade Pasta, Chef-driven Regionality

For me, my first love remains the same: the Burrasca Gnudi, Spinach and ricotta gnocchi with butter and bits of crispy sage.
Burrasca's Gnudi, Spinach and ricotta gnocchi with a sauce of butter and sage

The service here can be a little slow at times, but I don’t feel like you go to a neighborhood family place to rush through a meal. I eat my gnudi, thinking about ordering a second plate of gnudi for myself but resist while sipping on an Italian wine in their back patio.

I use their crescentine, a puffy, fried breadstick to soak up all the rest of the butter and pick up the crispy sage, and then go across the street to Fifty Licks for dessert (sorry Burrasca). The plates here are on the small side, not the oversized portions you usually see at pasta restaurants, but they are all quality.

Burrasca’s Crescentine, a Puffed fried breadstick
Burrasca's Crescentine, a Puffed fried bread stick reflecting Florentine food