Crippen Creek Chronicles

COOKING CLASSES AT CRIPPEN CREEK

2012-01-24T16:45:00.000-08:00

Farm Boy learns the art of making fresh pasta

Learn how to make ravioli

Learn how to cook pasta perfectly

Do you ever find yourself longing to put on a great dinner party but daunted by what it takes to pull it all together? Does the idea of baking fresh bread at home sound like a great idea only to find yourself mystified by the process? Perhaps you are already a great cook but are in need of some fresh ideas. Well, we think The Inn At Crippen Creek Farm has something to offer each of you. We offer classes and recipes in Italian Country Cooking that will wow your guests and amaze yourself at how easy they are to prepare. After one of our Artisan Bread Baking classes your home kitchen will smell like a world class bakery and you will never have to have soggy pizza again. Learn the secrets of great pasta and how to make the infamous "Sunday Gravy" even better than Carmella Soprano.

Click here for our schedule of cooking classes for 2012. We'll be adding more soon and are looking for suggestions from you. How about a class in Southern cooking and learn to make the best fried chicken ever? Or a charcuterie class and learn how to make fresh Italian Sausage, or cure bacon and pancetta? Get your own group together and we will customize a class for you. Meanwhile enjoy some pictures from our some of our classes.

Making Croccantini

Goat Cheese and Olives

Sunday Gravy, The Big Ragu

Artisan Bread Class

Homemade Pizza

Tiramisu

The Stockings Were Hung

2011-12-23T08:35:00.000-08:00

It was 13 years ago that Kitty stitched in needlepoint the first Christmas stocking for our family. This week she completed her seventh stocking. Each stocking has approximately 3000 stitches and countless hours. If that, in and of itself isn't amazing, consider that when she started that first stocking, Kitty was in a battle for her life against melanoma. It did not seem possible that she would ever complete the first stocking let alone seven of them and plans to start on one for our grandson Luca for next year. There will never be room for any coal in these stockings because they are already overflowing with love, hope and gratitude. We wish each of you the happiest of holidays and a New Year filled with the gifts that truly matter.

French Onion Soup

2011-12-10T05:01:00.000-08:00

"Only the pure of heart can make good soup."
-Beethoven

Is there anything more comforting on these frigid days than a bowl of piping hot soup? It's probably fair to say that whatever soup I happen to be eating is my favorite soup of that moment. But truly at the top of my list has to be French Onion Soup. We have had several requests for the recipe after posting a picture of it on Facebook, so here is my favorite version from a book called Taste by David Rosengarten.
The best we have ever enjoyed in a restaurant was at The French Cafe in Omaha, Nebraska.

FRENCH ONION SOUP GRATINEE

Makes 2 servings

3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ pounds of yellow onions, peeled and sliced thin
Large pinch of sugar
2 tablespoons of flour
4 cups of beef stock
½ cup of dry white wine
Cheesecloth bag containing 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 12 parsley sprigs, 8 peppercorns, and 1 bay leaf
6 slices day-old crusty French baguette (enough to cover the surface of each soup bowl), cut 1 inch thick
1 large clove garlic, halved
½ cup finely minced onion
2-3 tablespoons of cognac or brandy
6 ounces Gruyere cheese, thinly sliced
1/3 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1. Place the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over moderately low heat. Add the onions, and toss them with the sugar. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally until soft. Uncover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
2. Add the flour, and cook, stirring for 30-60 seconds. Add the stock, wine, cheesecloth bag, and salt and pepper to taste, and cook, partially covered, skimming off fat occasionally, for 40 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°. Arrange the slices of bread on a baking sheet; brush both sides with melted butter, season with salt and pepper and bake, turning once, for 15 minutes, or until golden and firm. Rub each slice with the cut garlic.
4. Transfer the soup to individual oven proof crocks, each 4-5 inches across the top. Stir the minced onion and cognac into each crock, dividing evenly. Cover the soup with bread slices, fitting 3 slices into each crock so they cover as much of the surface as possible. Lay the slices of Gruyere over each crock, letting the cheese hang over the sides of the crocks. Sprinkle with grated cheese and drizzle with a little melted butter. Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
5. Run the crocks under a preheated broiler until the cheese is bubbling and lightly browned. Bon appetit!

Where did Summer Go?

2011-09-26T07:05:00.000-07:00

“Summer is kind of like the ultimate one-night stand: hot as hell, totally thrilling, and gone before you know it.”
-unknown source

At first it seemed that summer would never arrive here in the Northwest. The rain was relentless leaving us with a muddy garden that was too wet to plant. It was June before we could get anything in the ground and it had all the makings of a green tomato year. We finally managed to get two hoop houses up and Kitty worked diligently to get our hot weather crops and watering system in while I cobbled together some raised beds for the outer garden. While folks in the East and South suffered oppressive heat, we were teased with only 2-3 days in a row of sunshine only to have the rain return for several days. It was August before any semblance of summer actually arrived. Here it is fall already and lo and behold we are harvesting our best garden crops since we moved here. Tomatoes are actually ripening and they are some of the best we have ever tasted. Bell peppers have always been difficult to grow here even in a hoop house and this year they are prolific and huge. It looked like the eggplant was never going to produce and now it’s all we can do to keep up with it. Here's a photographic look at this year's bounty. We will devote the next few postings to sharing ideas and recipes for using our bounty.

So how did your garden grow and what preservation tips do you have to share?

Cherry Pie and Buttermilk Ice Cream

2011-07-19T10:58:00.000-07:00

My obsession with cherry pie began 3 years ago when a neighbor let us pick cherries from his Montmorency cherry tree. He said that he didn’t like these cherries, but he sure seemed to like them when they were transformed into a pie. I also discovered after 36 years of marriage that cherry pie is Kitty’s favorite. Why is the husband always the last to know? It was that same year that I also discovered a “foolproof” pie dough recipe. Until then, I shied away from making pies because of my frustration with rolling out pie dough, even though a well made pie is one of my favorite desserts and breakfasts.
So life is looking pretty good now. I have a neighbor with a flourishing cherry tree, I have overcome my fear of pie dough and I have a way to score extra points with my wife (and I need all that I can get---one “ah shit” wipes out a hundred “atta boys.”)

Cherry Season 2010

Fast forward to the 2010 cherry season. It was only the year before that life seemed like a bowl of cherries but this year I found myself in the pits. My neighbor’s tree failed to produce as did many of the fruit trees that year. I could not find anyone else in the area with a pie cherry tree and there were no cherries available from the local markets. I am suddenly acting like a junkie looking for his next fix as I set out on a quest to find pie cherries. Internet searches for nearby orchards proved futile. Finally out of desperation I enlisted the help of my faithful friends on Facebook. It suddenly seemed like a race to see who would be first to find these elusive cherries. “Ask and you shall receive” is what the Bible says and within a week I found myself awash in pie cherries. Friends, Pat Herrington and Sherry Booth called me from a farmer’s market in Portland saying that found two flats of pie cherries....”do you want them?” “Is the pope Catholic? Of course---just tell me where to meet you,” I replied. “Don’t bother---we’ll drive them out to you,” Pat says. That’s an offer I can’t refuse. So I jump on Facebook, announce the “winner” of the race and thank everyone for their efforts. Ten minutes later, the phone rings and Jane Robinson says that she just picked up some pie cherries for us in Hood River. Apparently Jane isn’t obsessively checking Facebook every few minutes for updates. Kitty met her halfway and returned with 25 lbs. of cherries so you know what our work was for the rest of that day. But it was all worth it to have a little more than a pie a month in the freezer.

Cherry Season 2011
The extended rainy season, the absence of summer, and taking up the slack while Kitty recovers from surgery put cherries far from my mind. However, the phone rings, and Pat and Sherry are there making a preemptive strike. “Hey Don,” Pat says, “we are at the cherry festival in Hood River, how much do you want?” After calculating my work load, I figured that 20 lbs. sounds good. The next day, 20 lbs of cherries delivered to my front door. Those cherries are now stemmed, pitted and frozen for this years' pies. I hesitate to even say this but I just might need another 10 lbs for good measure.

Where’s the recipe already? Hang on—I’m getting to that. I have taunted my Facebook friends over the last year with pictures of pie and ice cream but you can thank recent guest, new found friend and inveterate food blogger, Penny Klett for inspiring me to finally post the recipe. Penny recently honored us with a blog posting called Up On Crippen Creek. Her blog is a real candy store for foodies. Penny recently posted a recipe for Sweet Cherry Pie and made mention of the fact that when she was here, she failed to get my recipe for Sour Cherry Pie and Buttermilk Ice Cream and that my friends is how this post came to be. So without further ado, here is the recipe for Cherry Pie and Buttermilk Ice Cream.

Cherry Pie

This recipe is adapted from THE AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN FAMILY COOKBOOK. The recipe call for cornstarch as the thickener but I use a product called Instant Clear Gel. That was a tip given to me by a former professional pie baker, Dana Gerstlauer who used to own and operate PIE IN THE SKY in Portland, Oregon. Dana, who is a frequent guest at Crippen Creek swears by Instant Clear Gel and so far I have to agree with her.

1 ½ cups sugar
¼ cup cornstarch*
6 cups of fresh sour cherries
Pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon of almond extract
1 recipe of Foolproof pie dough

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position, place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 500°. Mix the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in the cherries and almond extract. Spread the filling in the unbaked pie crust bottom.

2. Top with a second pie crust or weave lattice strips over the top for a classic look. Seal and crimp the edges. Lightly brush the top with water and sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar over the top.

3. Place the pie on the heated baking sheet and lower the oven temperature to 425°. Bake until the top is golden, about 25 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet, reduce the oven temperature again to 375°, and continue to bake until the juices are bubbling and the crust is a deep golden brown, 30-35 minutes, longer. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and cool to room temperature before serving.

FOOLPROOF PIE CRUST
(COOK’S ILLUSTRATED)

The secret to this "foolproof" pie dough is vodka. One of the problems that I have always had with pie crust is that the minimal amount of water called for made it difficult to roll out the dough without it splitting. Apparently, adding more water develops the gluten and makes for a tough pie crust. According to COOK'S ILLUSTRATED, adding an equal amount of vodka to the water allows you to double your liquid without the gluten building qualities of just using water. Hence, you end up with a more pliable dough that is easy to roll and as flaky as you would hope for.

I use a combination of butter and lard unless I am making it for a vegetarian and then I use shortening. I recommend Spectrum Shortening as it contains no trans fats. It's difficult to find lard today that has not been hydrogenated but we render our own so that's not a problem here.

• 2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces*
• 1/4 cup cold vodka
• 1/4 cup cold water

Procedure

1. Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogeneous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.

2. Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into two even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

BUTTERMILK ICE CREAM

I found this recipe on one of my other favorite food blogs called SMITTEN KITTEN.

Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups sugar
6 to 12 large egg yolks (I used 6)
2 cups buttermilk
pinch of salt
1/2 a vanilla bean, or 1 teaspoon good-quality vanilla extract
Directions
Bring the cream and 1 cup of the sugar to a simmer in a heavy saucepan over medium heat (if you’re using the vanilla bean, scrape the seeds into the cream while it heats as well.)
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar.
After the cream comes to a simmer, turn off the heat and dribble a small amount into the egg yolks, whisking them constantly, to temper. Continue slowly adding the hot cream mixture to the egg mixture, whisking all the while. Once everything is incorporated, return the mixture to the saucepan where you heated the cream.
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain into a bowl and mix in the 2 cups of buttermilk (and the vanilla extract if you are using that instead of the vanilla bean.) Cool this mixture completely, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Makes about 2 quarts.

A Pie for Breakfast Fan

OK pie lovers, we'd like to hear from you. Do you have a tip you would like to share with our readers for pie crusts? What is your fat of choice? How about your thickener of choice....cornstarch, flour, tapioca? Are you a fan of pie for breakfast? We are thinking about hosting a pie for breakfast event here at Crippen Creek. If we bake it, will you come? If you post your comments on the blog and/or share this post on Facebook, we will put your name on the Pie for Breakfast invitation list.

Holy Cows and Hog Heaven

2011-05-20T04:45:00.000-07:00

First of all, let me apologize to Joel Salatin for ripping off the title of his book. But let me give a little plug for that book as well. It's an indispensable guide for consumers looking for alternatives to industrialized food.

After a long, quiet, rainy winter, Spring has sprung and Crippen Creek Farm is suddenly teeming with life. The skunk cabbage is in full bloom, the humming birds and swallows have returned and the grass is lush, green and growing fast and furiously. With little respite from the rain, we have had few opportunities to mow. Speaking of rain, since the beginning of the rain year (October 1st), we have measured over 111 inches to date.

March and April brought us three baby lambs, one ram and two ewes. We have not developed a long-term plan for the sheep yet. So for now they're lawn mowers. However, we would be willing to sell the new ram and one of the ewes to someone wanting to start their own flock.

We increased our annual passel of pigs this year from our usual four to seven. They're also here a month earlier than usual. The land is quite wet and soggy right now, but each piglet only weighs about 35 pounds. By the time they'll be ready to go to market (around September) they will weigh up to 300 pounds each. Hopefully the land will be a little bit drier.

This year we have set up a new paddock system and will be intensively grazing and rotating them. We are grateful to Conner Voss and Sarah Brown of Diggin Roots Farm for their help in setting up our first paddock and providing support information on rotational grazing. This savvy young couple represents the new breed of farmers that are making a difference in our world.

For several years we have been working with the conservation district setting up fencing to keep livestock out of the creek and have even built a bridge across the creek for the same purpose. We had not grazed any animals on that side of the creek but all that changed when a neighbor in need of more pasture for his cows asked if we could rent him some of our pasture. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to put the fencing and bridge to the test as well as giving us an education in bovine behavior. These animals are massive -- especially when standing up close to them -- so it’s probably a good idea to understand them. We are also excited about the idea of saving time and fuel on mowing that pasture. It should also improve the land with all of the organic matter that the cows will provide.

Our garden is not in yet as it has just been too wet and too cold. Good weather is beginning to tease us however and we have started construction on two new hoop-houses with high hopes for an abundant and ripe tomato crop this year.

We are raising a new flock of laying hens this year as our old flock is well beyond prime time. The new flock arrived in February but will not be into production until late August. We got a beautiful array of heritage breeds... Buff Orpingtons, Silver Lace Wyandottes, Speckled Sussex, Rhode Island Reds and Araucaunas.

This years Freedom Ranger broiler chickens and turkeys have not been ordered yet so if you want any for your freezer this would be a good time to think about placing an order so that we can plan accordingly.

People life is abundant here as well. Our youngest son, Mark (whom we have dubbed Farm Boy), has come to live with us for awhile and his youthful energy and strength have been a welcome addition. His love for animals and natural aptitude for the mechanics of farming has been a real boon for us. When I got the tractor stuck in the mud up to the axle, it was Farm Boy who got it out like he had been doing it all of his life. He recently built this handy pig trough which we will put to the test soon.

Farm Boy and his pet chicken, Oscar Goldman

And then there are the guests. They are the raison d’être for The Inn At Crippen Creek Farm. Our season got under way with our first Road Scholar guests this week. In between Road Scholar programs, we have our regular B&B guests. They come from all over the world and serve to remind us of the goodness of people. Everyone has a story to tell and we love listening to them. Summer is certainly a great time to visit if you want to experience the animals but winter is great for cozying up by the fire and sharing your stories.

Lambing Season

2011-03-30T16:57:00.000-07:00

The lambing season began about 3 weeks ago here at Crippen Creek Farm and Kitty and I have been getting quite the education ever since.

I started my morning chores as usual, feeding the chickens and checking the pregnant ewes to see if any of them were going into labor when I heard the distinctive bleating of a baby lamb, "ma...ma.." As I walked through the sheep pasture, I first noticed a still-born baby lamb and then followed the sound of the bleating "ma...ma.." If there is a more plaintive wail than this sound, I don't know what it is. This sweet little lamb became separated from the flock and was actually outside the pasture fence.

I reunited it with its mother but was surprised to see that she seemed disinterested in her offspring. This soon became a community event as Kitty, our guests and our neighbor Andrew Emlen got involved in the bonding process. It's very convenient having the breeder be your neighbor. I guess the idea that it takes a village to raise a child applies to the four-legged variety as well.

Most of that day was spent trying to force a bond between mother and child. We had to forcibly hold the mother(Abrila) still so that the baby(Abba) could nurse. After several attempts at this throughout the day, we decided to pen Abrila and Abba up in very close quarters so that when Abrila stood to eat, the baby could nurse. This seemed to be working well so after a few days we released them to the open pastures thinking the bonding had taken. Not so! Everytime baby (Abba) tried to nurse, mom would just walk away. OK, back to the close quarters drill for more forced bonding. Three more days...release....but no go.

A little help from some friends

Abrila seemed very reluctant to be a mother. We realized that forced feeding or bottle feeding for the next several weeks simply was not going to be a sustainable venture. Then the phone rang. It was Andrew with a bright idea of grafting Abba to one of his ewes (that had just lost twins in a complicated birth). We coated Abba with afterbirth from one of the dead lambs and then turned him over to the bewildered mother, Megan. Megan just happens to be Abba's grandmother. She immediately began to sniff him, lick him and treat him as her very own. Andrew reports that the foster relationship is going well and that Abba can return to Crippen Creek after he is weaned in several weeks.

A reluctant mother

Another attempt at bonding

Grandma Megan to the rescue

A couple days later, it was Andrew's turn to call us for some assistance in birthing a lamb. Actually, it is unusual for this breed (Black Welsh Mountain Sheep) to need human intervention in lambing but from time to time it does become necessary. So Kitty and I and one of our guests headed over to Alcyon Farm to help contain the pregnant ewe while Andrew delivered the lamb. Don't worry if you are a guest at Crippen Creek...you only have to get involved in the farming if you want to.

Over 2 hours in labor and not making much progress

It's a special privilege to witness and assist a birth

Mother and baby are doing fine

Now back to Crippen Creek Farm. As Kitty and I were headed out to Portland yesterday, we noticed one of the ewes was missing. So we headed into the pasture to find our missing ewe huddled down in a hut with twin lambs that she had birthed during the night. All seemed to be well until later in the day we noticed that one of the lambs was walking kind of funny. She was walking on the knuckles of her rear legs instead of on the hooves. So today Andrew and I put splints on her and are just hoping for the best. One more pregnant ewe to go here. Wish us luck.

Mama is concerned that Farm Boy is a little too close to her babies

Today at Crippen Creek

2011-02-24T08:36:00.000-08:00

Today at Crippen Creek, we woke up to a winter wonderland. A day like to today underscores what one of our guests said about Crippen Creek,
"It's at the end of nowhere and at the beginning of paradise."
-Melanie Barker

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-16T20:16:00.001-08:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-09T08:19:00.000-08:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-02T15:16:00.000-08:00

Home Smoked Bacon

2010-11-17T21:12:00.000-08:00

“Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.”
-Doug Larson

Home Smoked Bacon

Col. Kilgore (Apocalypse Now) may love the smell of napalm in the morning but I prefer the smell of bacon. And I don’t mean the smell from a squad room full of cops. I’m talking about the smell of bacon frying in a cast iron skillet. (It’s ok for me to make that joke---I was one.) The pleasure is even greater with the knowledge that you have cured and smoked it yourself and raised the pig that provided it. While most of you reading this are not in a position to raise your own pig, we can help you out with that task, but that’s a discussion for another time. In the meantime, get down to your local butcher and get a nice piece of pork belly and let’s get started.

Here’s a recipe and method from The Paley’s Place Cookbook

3-5 pounds fresh pork belly skinned
1 teaspoon curing salt (optional)
1/4 cup freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup ground bay leaves
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup kosher salt

To cure the meat, place the pork belly in a nonreactive storage container and rub thoroughly all over with curing salt. Rub the top surface of the belly with half the pepper, half the bay, half the sugar, and half the salt. Turn the belly over and repeat with the remaining pepper, bay, sugar, and salt.

Cover tightly and refrigerate for 2 days. Turn the belly over, cover, and refrigerate for 3 more days. Remove the meat and pat it dry with paper towels. Discard the curing liquid that has formed in the container. At this point, the bacon is ready to use as is or to smoke.

When the curing was done, I couldn’t wait to try it so I fried some up and found it just a little too salty for my taste so I submerged it in a container of cold water and refrigerated it overnight. I tried it again the next day and was very pleased with the result. The salt balance was perfect.

Then I smoked it for 5 hours using apple wood until the pork belly reached an internal temperature of 150 degrees. The taste and texture was amazing although I think the next time I will probably reduce the smoking time to 3 hours. Don’t hesitate to try this. It really is easy. Once you’ve tried it though, you may never settle for store-bought bacon again.

Fresh Pork Belly

Out of the fire

And into the frying pan

A couple of farm-fresh eggs to complete the experience

Have you ever done your own meat curing? Would you share your experiences with the rest of us? Since we just got our pig back from the butcher we will be venturing into more charcuterie so look for a posting soon on home cured pancetta.

The Good Shepherd

2010-10-18T21:56:00.000-07:00

If you have visited Crippen Creek, then you know very well that Jessie, our German Sheperd is a good watch dog, as she assertively challenges anyone approaching the house. She has never been trained as a herding dog and I have always wondered if she got in the pasture with the livestock if she would herd them or hurt them. Today I found out. Although German Shepherds were originally bred for herding, it seems they are mostly used in police work and as guide dogs, leaving the herding work to other breeds.

I was returning to the barn with the tractor, Jessie trotting along side and was shocked to see the pasture gate wide open and five of the sheep were out. I panicked a little fearing that Jessie would give chase and the sheep would scatter to parts unknown and never seen again. Jessie's herding instincts kicked in and she immediately started driving the sheep back to their rightful place. As soon as one was in the pasture she turned around and went after another one and had them all back in less than 5 minutes. So three cheers for Jessie!

Jessie and her flock

Don't Count Your Chickens

2010-09-20T19:06:00.000-07:00

"Don't count your chickens before they are hatched" is how the saying goes. And the same can be said for turkeys. The history of that saying comes from an Aesop Fable known as The Milkmaid And Her Pail. According to Trivia-Library.com, it goes like this.

Patty, a farmer's daughter, is daydreaming as she walks to town with a pail of milk balanced on her head. Her thoughts: "The milk in this pail will provide me with cream, which I will make into butter, which I will sell in the market, and buy a dozen eggs, which will hatch into chickens, which will lay more eggs, and soon I shall have a large poultry yard. I'll sell some of the fowls and buy myself a handsome new gown and go to the fair, and when the young fellows try to make love to me, I'll toss my head and pass them by." At that moment, Patty tossed her head and lost the pailful of milk. Her mother admonished, "Do not count your chickens before they are hatched."

"So where am I going with this?" you ask. Several weeks ago I made a post about Turkeys that I received in the mail. I ordered 6 and received 11 of them surmising that the hatchery planned a high mortality rate. When they arrived they all looked like baby chicks although the 5 extra ones were a different color. I'm thinking this is a great windfall if they all survive. Well so far they have all survived and are thriving. They are all out of the brooder and on pasture. However the six that I ordered actually look like turkeys and the five extras are Rhode Island Red Roosters. What I have learned is that those roosters were sent along as sort of "packing peanuts" to keep the turkeys warm. I've tried separating the roosters from the turkeys by putting them in the chicken yard with the laying hens but they are having none of that. They insist on finding their way back to the Turkey yard and so there they will stay until Thanksgiving.

Eleven Turkeys? arrive in the mail

These are definitely turkeys

Hmmm, what's wrong with this picture?

Today's Harvest

2010-09-08T21:01:00.000-07:00

Gardening has been exceptionally difficult this year in the Northwest due to a very wet Spring. Over 8 inches of rain fell in Skamokawa during the month of May so our garden got a late start this year. Summer seems to have come in fits and starts and has never really taken hold this year so I guess we will be grateful for whatever we can harvest this year. The basil has done very well.

Fresh Basil

Pesto Genovese ready for the freezer

Eggplant with more still coming on

First picking of Romano Beans

A mere handful of Haricot Vert

Tomato plants loaded with green tomatoes

One ripe heirloom tomato

We are still holding out hope for the tomatoes to ripen but it's a race against time as we are feeling fall in the air.

We failed again in growing garlic. I'm sure my Sicilian grandfather is rolling in his grave.

How about you? How has your garden fared this year?

Thanksgiving Preparations

2010-07-15T22:14:00.000-07:00

Is it too early to start preparing for Thanksgiving? It's not if you are raising your own turkey. And that is what we started doing today. Eleven of them to be exact. We have never raised turkeys before so I only ordered six just to keep it manageable. They arrived in the mail and when we opened the box we were surprised to find eleven poults. I'm guessing that the hatchery expects a high mortality rate which gives credence to the stories I hear about turkeys being born trying to die.

If you are interested in ordering a pasture raised turkey this year, let us know and we will put you on the list but won't ask for a deposit at this time since we don't have a real sense of what the survival rate is. We'll keep you posted on their progress.

Have you ever raised a turkey? If so how about sharing your experience with the rest of us?

Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream

2010-07-11T06:18:00.000-07:00

One day I was making an apple pie, and as one thing leads to another, I thought some ice cream would go nicely with this. While vanilla ice cream is certainly a classic pairing with apple pie, it just seemed a little boring. Then, I thought, since caramel goes well with apples, why not make some caramel sauce. But then it seemed like it was getting too involved so I decided to make a caramel ice cream. A little internet search turned up this gem from my latest favorite dessert author, David Lebovitz. I lack the ability to describe just how delicious this is. David is bold enough to claim that this recipe is better than the caramel ice cream at the famed Berthillon in Paris.
If you have an ice cream machine and get it out and try it for yourself. It's more involved than a simple vanilla ice cream but certainly worth the effort. Here is the recipe in David's own words. I see no reason to deviate from it.

If you like this, you will probably enjoy his books, The Perfect Scoop and Ready For Dessert.

For the caramel praline (mix-in)

½ cup (100 gr) sugar
¾ teaspoon sea salt, such as fleur de sel

For the ice cream custard

2 cups (500 ml) whole milk, divided
1½ cups (300 gr) sugar
4 tablespoons (60 gr) salted butter
scant ½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cups (250 ml) heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. To make the caramel praline, spread the ½ cup (100 gr) of sugar in an even layer in a medium-sized, unlined heavy duty saucepan: I use a 6 quart/liter pan. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or brush it sparingly with unflavored oil.

2. Heat the sugar over moderate heat until the edges begin to melt. Use a heatproof utensil to gently stir the liquefied sugar from the bottom and edges towards the center, stirring, until all the sugar is dissolved. (Or most of it—there may be some lumps, which will melt later.)

Continue to cook stirring infrequently until the caramel starts smoking and begins to smell like it's just about to burn. It won't take long.

3. Without hesitation, sprinkle in the ¾ teaspoon salt without stirring (don't even pause to scratch your nose), then pour the caramel onto the prepared baking sheet and lift up the baking sheet immediately, tilting and swirling it almost vertically to encourage the caramel to form as thin a layer as possible. Set aside to harden and cool.

4. To make the ice cream, make an ice bath by filling a large bowl about a third full with ice cubes and adding a cup or so of water so they're floating. Nest a smaller metal bowl (at least 2 quarts/liters) over the ice, pour 1 cup (250 ml) of the milk into the inner bowl, and rest a mesh strainer on top of it.

5. Spread 1½ cups (300 gr) sugar in the saucepan in an even layer. Cook over moderate heat, until caramelized, using the same method described in Step #2.

6. Once caramelized, remove from heat and stir in the butter and salt, until butter is melted, then gradually whisk in the cream, stirring as you go.

The caramel may harden and seize, but return it to the heat and continue to stir over low heat until any hard caramel is melted. Stir in 1 cup (250 ml) of the milk.

7. Whisk the yolks in a small bowl and gradually pour some of the warm caramel mixture over the yolks, stirring constantly. Scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan and cook the custard using a heatproof utensil, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom as you stir) until the mixture thickens. If using an instant-read thermometer, it should read 160-170 F (71-77 C).

8. Pour the custard through the strainer into the milk set over the ice bath, add the vanilla, then stir frequently until the mixture is cooled down. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or until thoroughly chilled.

9. Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

10. While the ice cream is churning, crumble the hardened caramel praline into very little bits, about the size of very large confetti (about ½-inch, or 1 cm). I use a mortar and pestle, although you can make your own kind of music using your hands or a rolling pin.

11. Once your caramel ice cream is churned, quickly stir in the crushed caramel, then chill in the freezer until firm.

Note: As the ice cream sits, the little bits of caramel may liquefy and get runny and gooey, which is what they're intended to do.

And since we are well into the ice cream season, be sure to check the latest posting from The Kitchenmage about no cook ice cream base. I have not tried it yet but it is high on my to-do list.

And what about you? Have you tried making your own ice cream? Do you have a favorite or unusual recipe to share?

Summer Stock

2010-07-06T23:21:00.000-07:00

Summer seems to have finally arrived and so has our summer livestock.
Two weeks ago the Freedom Rangers arrived. Freedom Rangers are not a military rescue unit. They are the heritage breed broiler chickens that we free range on pasture and offer a sustainable and humane alternative to factory farmed chickens. They have been in the brooder for the last two weeks but they are feathering out nicely now and were introduced to pasture today.

Freedom Rangers

The new batch of pigs arrived a week later. That was a case of deja vu all over again as the first pig slipped under the hot wire and led us on a two and half hour chase. We finally gave Jessie, our German Shepherd a chance to help and she did a fine job of chasing the little porker right into my arms. The only problem was that when I grabbed him he started squealing like a stuck pig. Now this set Jessie off who kept trying to bite the pig while I'm trying to carry him over to the pig pen. I'll give Jessie the benefit of the doubt that she thought the pig was trying to hurt me and this was her attempt to protect me. After his second escape five minutes later I was seriously considering roast suckling pig for dinner. We finally got him settled with his siblings and now that he knows where his food and water is he seems content.

Escapes and chases notwithstanding, the pigs continue to be our favorite critter to raise. Probably the biggest challenge is keeping them cool on a hot day as they
have no sweat glands. Nothing like a little mud to keep a pig cool.

And sometimes those with sweat glands like to play in the mud.

The Freedom Rangers will be available by late August, the pigs will be ready by mid October and Crippen Creek Spa Mud is available year round. Call or email to place your order.

Country Life (and death)

2010-06-03T06:58:00.000-07:00

We were driving down Middle Valley Road recently when we spotted a bald eagle in a field. He appeared to have a firm grasp on some creature and was feasting mightily. We couldn't quite make out the object of his desire but fortunately we had some binoculars in the car and saw that the cuisine du jour was a coyote. We watched him for several minutes and took a few pictures but our zoom lens is woefully inadequate.

Meanwhile three turkey vultures circled overhead patiently waiting their turn. I love the fact that we can actually stop our car in the middle of the road for over 10 minutes and not create a traffic jam. After the bald eagle got a bellyful the turkey vultures swooped down and one by one took their turn, presumably in some sort of pecking order.

They are lucky that our neighbor Andrew didn't find the coyote first as he probably would have scooped him up to make a new hat.

I'm trying to encourage Andrew to turn the pelts into some sort of a travel bag and start a new line of "carrion" luggage.

Baa Baa Black Sheep

2010-04-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

Since starting our "green acres" adventure four years ago, we have added livestock as our knowledge, courage and infrastructure would allow. We started easy with three laying hens that we housed in a small portable chicken coop, commonly called a chicken tractor. Anxious as a kid at Christmas, I went out everyday to check for our first egg only to be disappointed. Several weeks went by with no eggs. However one day after returning from a weekend in Portland, I checked the coop and found two of the largest eggs I had ever seen. I told Kitty that we had hit the mother lode but upon close examination I found that one egg had the word "ouch" written on it and the other, "Happy April Fools Day." A neighbor had stuck a couple of peacock eggs in the nest. Well, those hens never did turn out to be productive layers but since then we have had as many as 30 hens and have been amply rewarded with more than enough eggs.

After some experience with laying hens we graduated to chickens that were raised strictly for meat.

As part of our continuing education about where our food comes from, we learned some butchering skills.

One of the best things we learned here is that chicken feet make the best stock.

Pigs were next and by now most of you know of our hilarious pig chase. We look forward to getting our third batch of pigs around the end of May. So far they have been the most delightful animal to raise.

Last year we added ducks, a delicious addition to the farm.

For the past couple of years we have been working on fencing our pastures and now have at least one pasture that could contain some sheep. Although we have not done much research on sheep we have acquired enough confidence and courage to take on our first flock of sheep. Admittedly much of that courage comes from the fact that our neighbor Andrew Emlen who sold us the flock has pledged to mentor us.

Andrew Emlen teaches the fine art of shearing

The breed is known as Black Welsh Mountain Sheep. They are a small hardy heritage breed, obviously with black wool that may be of some interest to spinners and weavers. Of course as their name implies, they originated in Wales and were first introduced to the United States in 1973. There are several characteristics of this breed that especially appeal to us. One is that they are resistant to hoof rot, a common malady for sheep here in the rainy Columbia Pacific Region. The second is that they seldom need human intervention when they are lambing. Sticking my arm up a sheep's bum in the middle of the night is not high on my bucket list. Third, they are great mowers. I'm always excited when I can get one of our animals to help with the chores. They're quieter than a tractor and leave a smaller carbon footprint.

Last but not least, they are a good source of meat, especially as mutton. While mutton has had a disparaging reputation over the years, it is being rediscovered with a new found appreciation. Mutton is loosely defined as lamb over two years old. My limited experience is that it tastes like lamb but just a little more so. In other words, it's more flavorful. This makes me think that people who do not like mutton either had some really old mutton, improperly cooked or perhaps they just don't like the taste of lamb.

As novice farmers four years ago, the "yolk was on us," but we have learned a thing or two so you won't be "pulling the wool over our eyes" quite so easily now.

We have not decided just how big a flock we will raise and how many will be for meat and how many to keep as mowers. So we would like to hear from you. Do you have experiencing raising sheep? Do you enjoy eating lamb? How about mutton? Are you a spinner or weaver with any interest in black wool?

Too Cute For Words

2010-01-29T23:54:00.000-08:00

Duck Tales

2010-01-11T19:09:00.000-08:00

2009 may have been the Year of the Ox for Chinese New year but it was the year of the Duck here at Crippen Creek. In last month's post we talked of the Muscovy ducks that we were raising and mentioned the addition of Norman the Duck to our flock. His picture garnered much attention and many inquiries. I mentioned some of his exploits on Facebook and Norman developed such a following that he almost had his own fan page. The first chapter in our story tells how Norman the Duck came to Crippen Creek in the words of his rescuer, Norm Sharp.

"This duck was abandoned in a fenced rain 'catch pond' in Oregon City during mid-summer. I noticed it was different than the wild ducks that come through and soon learned it could not fly. I assumed it to be domestic, most likely a cross. At the time I was learning a classical Brazilian piece on the guitar, written by Marco Perreira, called Marta. As I went through the catch pond area, early in the morning on walks I would whistle that song as I walked out of the neighborhood. The duck started swimming toward me when I would whistle Marta, and it would swim next to me until I disappeared. I began to feed it some duck food I picked up and it knew me and would approach closely when it heard the song. This continued throughout summer and fall, I, all the while threatening to capture the duck and call my friends Don and Kitty.

The opportunity came in this recent freeze. After several days of sub freezing weather, the pond was frozen virtually solid. At about 3AM, the 9th of December, my little peepers opened and I said to myself, enough. I waited until the most reasonable hour of 530AM, 17 degrees, and with salmon net and dog carrier in hand I went over the fence, dressed in black. The duck was in a small part of the feeder creek that was not frozen and had about a three foot circle of unfrozen water around it. I approached the duck and it jumped out of the water and I attempted to net it. We played chase on the frozen ice for about a minute until I managed to get the net over it. Once I grabbed it, it calmed down, like it knew me and completely relaxed. We went to the little kennel and it now became a part of the back seat of my Volvo.

It went to work with me that morning, as I called several rescue places with no luck, er, duck. Until.......................my friend Don was coming to Portland to catch a train. I surprised him at Union Station around 4PM and we chatted for a bit. Don needed a coat as he'd forgot his: I needed a home for the duck. We walked to the barnyard smelling car and viewed the duck. Don said it was a fine specimen.

I took the duck home that evening, made a cage out of the dog pen, some hay, and a cover (it escaped and was following me around the garage). It seemed agitated at first, then I managed to pat its' belly. It calmed, rested in my arms and I petted it for a long time. Lori, who had patiently helped, looked and said, "it's name is Norman."
It would have been Marta had it been a girl.

So, at 5AM in the morning the next day, myself and Norman were en route to The Inn at Crippen Creek Farm. When I arrived, I placed Norman in the lot with all the other ducks and chickens, who eyed him with suspicion (city duck vs. country). He tentatively stepped from the cage and entered into the world of Crippen Creek Farm. Several nervous looking white ducks were posed like gangsters, checking him out. He chose a solid tactical position, as Normans are prone to do, and returned the stares, sizing up the new locker room. The chickens cared less and acted like they were waiting for a bus downtown.

I did write an impassioned plea to the owners of Crippen Creek to place Norman into a semi-retirement status with the caveat that he behave and that his captor have visiting rights."

Norman the Duck Finds His Special Purpose

When Kitty and I returned from our North Dakota trip, we found Norman the Duck settling in at Crippen Creek but still trying to figure out his place in the flock. He was pretty much a loner (that should have been a red flag) but then noticed that he was making nice with our Kahki Campbell. Then one morning, it was like someone flipped a switch. Just as Navin R. Johnson in the movie, The Jerk, found his 'special purpose,' so too did Norman the Duck...as barnyard stud. Although he hung out with Campbell, it was the Muscovy hens that became the objects of his "affection." But there was just one little problem that I forgot about. We have one more Muscovy duck...Boris, the drake. I should have known from raising chickens that with only 3 hens, that 2 drakes is one too many. Now Norman the Duck turned his attention to Boris and challenged him for the pecking order. Although Boris is twice the size of Norman, he is younger and inexperienced and no match for Norman. Normally we do not interfere with pecking order squabbles among our livestock. It's just the natural order of things. However, Norman's challenges went beyond the pale. He had clearly established his dominance but tormented Boris, pushing him into the electronet fencing and and pecking most of the hair off Boris' neck.

Boris the Muscovy Drake

Norman the Duck Goes to Duck Jail

We are not mean to our animals and we do not allow mean animals a long stay at Crippen Creek. Before decapitating or relocating Norman, we decided to see if rehabilitating his was a possibility. So we incarcerated Norman in the chicken tractor for several days. Hoping that a few days of solitary confinement would allow Norman to reflect on the error of his ways, we released him It took him less than 30 seconds to find Boris and pounce on him with a vengeance. So it was back in the slammer for Norman until we could figure out our next course of action. I didn't think a mean duck would taste very good so he was spared that fate. In the meantime, our beloved Campbell died and her death will remain a mystery. Norman had an airtight alibi and there was no sign of a predator.

Norman the Duck Gets a New Home

We had to make a decision soon about Norman's future. Turning him out in the wild did not seem fair since he couldn't fly and keeping him penned up surely would have brought about the wrath of some animal quackavists. So I turned to our good friends Jessica and Sunrise Fletcher. They have an idyllic pond on 40 acres at Lucky Mud with no competing ducks. Fortunately they agreed to adopt Norman and he took to their pond like...well..... like a duck takes to water. (sorry about that last line...I couldn't resist). Thus ends the saga of Norman the Duck.

Norman on the pond at Lucky Mud

Future duck tales will be about their preparation and consumption.

If It Looks Like A Duck

2009-12-08T15:25:00.001-08:00

If it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck but doesn't quack like a duck, then it's probably a Muscovy duck. Last summer when I first entertained the idea of raising ducks, I found that the most common breed available for meat was the white Pekin. This is what stores sell as Long Island Duckling. When you think of duck as being fatty or greasy, this is the duck in question. This is the duck of choice for commercial purposes because they gain weight rapidly and are ready for the market in 7 to 8 weeks. Just as we reject the Cornish Cross hen because it also was bred for rapid weight gain, we decided against the Pekin.

After consulting with one of my favorite chefs, we decided on the Muscovy. The Muscovy is the duck of choice in finer restaurants as it is prized for its lean meat and rich flavor. Of course, just like the chickens that we raise for meat this breed of duck also takes twice as long to reach market weight of about 8 pounds.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, the Muscovy does not quack like a duck. These ducks make quiet hissing sounds or breathy squeaks. They have amazingly large feet and sharp claws which enable them to perch in trees or on rooftops. And they have a face you will never forget. Wart-like growths called caruncles surround their beaks and eyes. Most of the ducks we are familiar with are Mallard derivatives. We have two ducks that fill that bill(pun intended). One of them is Campbell, a gift from Sarah and Conner (not to be confused with Sarah Connor of The Terminator) of Diggin Roots Farm. Campbell has been raised with the chickens and has been a good egg layer until recently. Our most recent addition is Norman the Duck who may be a story unto himself one day.

We raised 16 ducks this year with the intention of butchering 13 of them. Three lucky ones will get the chance to breed. We butchered 6 of of them a few weeks ago with the help of three guests that wanted a hands-on farm experience. We are always happy to show guests how their food gets from farm to table. By unanimous agreement, the next 7 ducks will get processed by a professional. It was the plucking that did us all in. Even scalding and paraffin was of little help.

You can expect to see duck making an appearance on our menus in the coming year, most notably as duck confit in cassoulet.

3 day old Muscovy Duckling

16 week old Muscovy Ducks

Plucked Duck

Muscovies perched on the roof of the chicken coop

Khaki Campbell

Norman the Duck

What is your experience with duck? Have you raised them? Plucked them? Have you ever eaten Muscovy Duck?

Perfect French Toast

2009-10-27T21:31:00.000-07:00

Whenever we go to a bed and breakfast inn, we have high expectations for breakfast. I don't necessarily expect something exotic and it certainly does not need to look like 10 chefs got together to assemble it. We like common dishes prepared uncommonly well. That is the criteria we use here at Crippen Creek when we plan meals for our guests.

We start with the best local ingredients possible and then prepare it with heart and soul. Whenever I am dissatisfied with a particular dish, it sets me on a search for a better technique or recipe. That was the case with French Toast. For months now I have been searching for the Perfect French Toast. My criteria for French Toast consists of thick slices of bread saturated in a sweet batter, a golden and slightly crispy exterior with a moist custard-like interior. The finished product should fall somewhere short of bread pudding.

Most recipes call for some sort of hearty French or Italian bread but I find their
crust to be too tough and the crumb too chewy. After all we are trying to come close to the bread pudding stage.

My internet search became a daunting task. Lacking the time and resources of America's Test Kitchen, I needed to become proficient at perusing a recipe and deciding whether a particular recipe might fit the bill. After dismissing hundreds of recipes, I bookmarked several that seemed to have potential.

There was one in particular that called to me and I finally got around to trying it out last weekend. Voila! The Perfect French Toast! I discovered the recipe on a blog called Breakfast At Tiffany's.

She calls it Coast Toast and near as I can tell, it comes from a restaurant in La Jolla, CA known as The Brocton Villa Restaurant.

I followed the recipe exactly except for the bread. Our friend Jon Peterson is fond of saying, "there's not a lot of traffic on the highway of the 'extra mile'." So we went the extra mile and made brioche, which turned out to be the absolutely perfect bread for French Toast. Here is the recipe for the French Toast and if enough readers post a request for the brioche recipe, I will do a future blog on that.

A Golden Loaf of Homemade Brioche

Brioche French Toast with a custard-like interior

But what about you? What qualities do you like in French Toast and do you have a favorite restaurant that makes a great French Toast?

How To Weigh A Pig

2009-10-05T19:55:00.000-07:00

Don't be too hasty to dismiss this post as useless information. We never dreamed that we would need to know this but here we are needing to weigh our pigs and without a scale. It wasn't so bad when we first got them. Pick them up and guesstimate their weight at about 35 pounds.

35 lb. weaner pig

But what do you do when they get to this size?

First, you have to measure their girth.

Then you measure their length.

So here's the formula: girth x girth x length divided by 400 = the weight.
This particular pig had a girth of 46 inches and a length of 50 inches putting it's approximate weight at 265lbs. That's a good market weight and so at this very moment these dear creatures are on their way to hog heaven.

dressed and ready for the butcher for cutting and wrapping

That's all we will be raising and processing this year so if you missed out and are interested in half of a pig next year, let us know and we will put you on the list for next Spring. Till then you will have to settle for coming out to Crippen Creek for pork dinner.

Autumn Leaves

2009-09-23T04:53:00.000-07:00

"The falling leaves drift by the window
The autumn leaves of red and gold."
-Johnny Mercer

The first day of Autumn made a grand appearance yesterday. The sugar maples are turning.

The orb weavers have set up shop on the garden fence.

The pumpkins are ripening.

I think Squashzilla the 37 lb. Hubbard Squash is ready.

Early autumn is such a schizophrenic time of year. On a beautiful day like this, all the outdoor chores of mowing, woodstacking and weeding call but all of that great harvest that you worked so hard for all summer has to be put up. No wonder farmers raised such large families. Extra harvest hands are always welcome. We will make it worth your while.

Garden Update

2009-09-06T22:31:00.000-07:00

Country living has presented us with many challenges and high on that list of challenges is gardening. When we are perusing the seed catalogs in January, it's easy to get carried away with visions of a garden that could feed a small town and end up ordering more seeds than we could ever hope to plant. As planting time draws near it takes a great deal of resolve to resist planting too early when it feels like Spring is here. Last year we boasted of growing prize winning eggplant, a feat that would be all but impossible without our hoophouse. Oh that wonderful hoophouse that was going to give us a head start on this year's garden, was destroyed by a January snowstorm. So we rebuilt it in early Spring only to have a sudden windstorm destroy it 3 days later. We are hoping that the 3rd time is a charm. We are pleased to report that the hoophouse is holding up and this year's garden looks like our best yet in spite of getting off to a late start. We have harvested a few tomatoes, over 100 pounds of potatoes and several batches of the best looking basil we have ever grown. The eggplant is prolific. The strawberries were sweet and plentiful. The garlic was dismal and we have not figured out why. The tomatillos were a bust. Who knew that you needed two plants? The broccoli raab came and went too quickly but escarole is coming on strong. This is definitely our best looking garden to date and Kitty has done it almost single-handedly.

Garden 2009

Escarole (Italian soul food)

Green Beans ready for the freezer

Ratatouille

Pesto Genovese

And how did your garden fare this year? Do you have any good tips on growing garlic?

The Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer

2009-09-01T18:29:00.000-07:00

"Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer,
those days of soda and pretzels and beer."
-Nat King Cole

We have certainly had our share of hazy and crazy days this summer, but not many lazy ones. Summer is always a busy time with gardening, raising chickens and pigs and hosting guests. This summer we have been especially priveleged to host a number of Elderhostel guests. Elderhostel is a non-profit organization that offers adventure and educational programs world wide. It's also proof positive that there is life after 50. We found our guests to be intelligent, fit and enthusiastic about life and learning new things. One of those programs, Kayaking the Lower Columbia, takes place right here in Skamokawa. After a hearty breakfast every morning, the guests head out for an adventure with some of the best kayak guides in the country from Columbia River Kayaking.

At the end of the day, the guests return to the inn for dinner followed up by an evening program that might include a demonstration of primitive tools used by the Chinook Indians or a fantastic musical program related to the Lewis and Clark adventure.
As long as we are talking about kayaking we need to take a moment for shameless self-promotion and direct you to a wonderful article in, believe it or not, Forbes Magazine on The Forgotten Columbia River.

Here's a few photos of the many wonderful guests and evening programs we have enjoyed this summer.

Music from the Lewis and Clark Trail

Primitive tools of the Chinook

Have you ever been on and Elderhostel program? What did you think of it? There's still room for the September program.

Too Cute For Words

2009-08-19T22:04:00.001-07:00

Sweet Irony or Logical Conclusion?

2009-07-08T17:46:00.000-07:00

Is it sweet irony or just living life to its logical conclusion when a retired cop becomes a pig farmer? As I ponder that question I find it a bit amusing that the phrase "pig pile" was a part of my vocabulary as a young policeman and has now made a reprise in my new career. Then, it referred to a number of cops piling onto a suspect that did not want to go peaceably. Now, the meaning is more literal and refers to the natural tendencies of young pigs to lie close together for warmth. It is also ironic that calling someone a pig is used so derisively as these animals are undoubtedly the cleanest (though you wouldn't know it to look at them), most intelligent and most lovable of all the barnyard animals. Not to mention the tastiest.

At any rate, we love raising pigs and this years' batch is now available to order by the half or the whole at $3.50 per pound hanging weight. A $100 deposit is required to confirm your order. Additionally, you pay the butcher $.55/lb for cutting and wrapping. They will be harvested around mid or late October and will be processed at Butcher Boys in Vancouver,WA. They cure the hams and bacon without nitrites. And of course we raise them humanely, naturally and without chemicals.

Our guests love watching the pigs frolic, wallow and root. Some even love to get in the pen and help with the feeding. One recent guest could easily be dubbed the "pig whisperer" for her ability to charm them. It took me a couple of weeks to get them to warm up to me. But then again she is prettier than me and smells better.

Have any of you ever raised pigs? Do you have some stories to share? Have you tasted pasture raised pork ? The meat is denser and more pink in color rather than being "the other white meat."

Spring Chinook

2009-06-02T05:59:00.000-07:00

The treasures of the Pacific Northwest are many indeed and high on that list is the coveted Spring Chinook commonly known as "Springers" here on the Lower Columbia River or King Salmon by neighbors to the North. The Spring Chinook season is well over but just a couple of days before it ended I kiddingly asked my friend, Ed Shrock (a very avid fisherman) when he was going to catch me a "Springer." He not so kiddingly told me to go out and get a license and he would teach me how to catch my own Springer. So I did what he said, and he did what he said. I think Ed realized the good luck value of a beginner.

Preparing the fish was the next challenge but fortunately Spring Chinook seems to be almost foolproof due to its high oil content. So here is a recipe for Spring Chinook with Salmoriglio Sauce. This Sicilian sauce, known in Sicily as sammurigghiu is a delicious finish for any fish and even a grilled steak.

Marinated Fish with Salmoriglio Sauce
(inspired by Marcella Hazan)

2 pounds of fish fillet
white vinegar
sea salt
lemon juice
1/3 cups dried bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons of olive oil

Pour a little vinegar over the fish fillets, then rinse them under cold, running water. Pat the fillets dry with paper towels and arrange them on an ovenproof baking dish. Rub a little salt over the skinless sides of the fillets and sprinkle with the lemon juice. Spread the bread crumbs over the fillets and drizzle them with the olive oil. Cover and let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°. Bake the fish until just cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer the fish to a platter. Pour the salmoriglio sauce over the fish fillets and serve.

Salmoriglio Sauce

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons hot water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons very finely chopped fresh oregano
6 tablespoons very finely chopped fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped

Pour the olive oil into a bowl and slowly whisk in the lemon juice and hot water. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the chopped oregano, parsley and garlic. Warm the sauce slightly and pour over cooked fish or steaks.

And just for good measure, we preceded this meal with another Northwest treasure, Linguine con Cozze (Linguine with Penn Cove Mussels).

Picking Up Chicks In Skamokawa

2009-05-23T05:51:00.000-07:00

It's easy to pick up chicks in Skamokawa and the best place to do that is at the post office. Here's how it works. First, you find a hatchery that has the kind of chicks you want and place your order. About 2 days after they ship them, the post office calls you and tells you to come in a pick up your baby chicks.

We ordered 50 red broilers from J.M. Hatchery in New Holland,PA. These red broilers are derived from heritage breeding stock and meet the highest standards of the French Label Rouge free-range program. Their natural behaviors and instincts have been preserved resulting in a slower growing, more flavorful, and arguably more nutritious chicken. The typical chicken that you buy in the grocery store is a Cornish cross that has been bred for quick growth often resulting in chickens that can't support their own weight and often have heart attacks.

Red broilers are the perfect chicken to use in recipes like Chicken Ossobuco, Chicken Cacciatore, Coq au Vin or any recipe requiring a slow braise method.

Our red broilers will be available for harvest around the first week of August. Just call (360)795-0585 or email us at theinn@crippencreek.com to order. Of course you won't be picking up chicks because by then they will be hens or roosters.

Have you ever experienced one of these heritage breeds? Have you noticed how agribusiness has conditioned our palate to a bland mushy bird under the guise of being tender?

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T05:45:00.000-07:00

“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.”
-Nelson Henderson

What are the chances that I will ever sit in the shade of this tree?

Today is Earth Day but we celebrated last week by enrolling in our local Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program(CREP) and planted 1000 trees along the riparian zone of Crippen Creek as part of an ongoing conservation effort.

This program offers funding to farmers and ranchers to help conserve priority salmon stocks.While many landowners find themselves reluctant to enter into any agreements with a government agency, we do not find ourselves so fearful. Our experience thus far in working with our local conservation district has been a very positive experience. Sometimes government gets it right.

While alder trees are readily abundant adjacent to the creek, conifers are conspicuously absent. Douglas Firs, Hemlock, Spruce, Port Orford and Western Red Cedar now dot the riparian zone along Crippen Creek.
Planting them was no picnic as the rain and hail were coming down sideways on the day we planted them. But the real challenge now is managing them and protecting them from voles, beavers, deer and elk.

Let the planting begin

For all of you tree huggers that missed out on the planting, we have a thousand weed barrier mats to lay around the trees. Let us know if you want to help. Fun, food and drink are guaranteed!

Sunday Gravy, The Big Ragu

2009-03-04T13:03:00.000-08:00

Gravy? Sauce? Sugo? Ragu?
Learn how to make this classic dish in one of our Spring Cooking Classes.

If you are an Italian-American, Sunday Gravy was probably a ritual in your family as it was in mine. You might know the term gravy as it gained notoriety in the HBO hit, The Sopranos, but certainly it is not universal to all Italian-American families. Many of you know this classic dish in its simplest form as spaghetti and meatballs. But it is really so much more than that. Our family did not call it "gravy." We simply called it "sauce." My father tells me that growing up they called it "Il Sugo", meaning "the sauce," as opposed to "un sugo" meaning one of many sauces. This is the sauce that mama prepared, that simmered on the stove all day with meatballs, Italian sausage, possibly some pork ribs or braciole. For me, this is the ultimate comfort food, my proverbial 'last meal' request. This is the dish that is synonymous with family and tradition. This is the most often requested meal by our children for special occasions.

Our own family ritual went something like this. After nine o'clock Mass at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, we stopped at DiVincenzo's Bakery, and stood in a long line to get two really fresh just-out-of-the-oven baguettes to take home. You had to get two because one would be half eaten by the time you got home. Mom would get the sauce started, while Dad turned the radio on to the Italian Hour. When that was over, then it was a mix of Sinatra, Dino and Jerry Vale from Dad's record collection. Meanwhile, we lingered over the Sunday paper while the meats simmered in the sauce or "gravy". As the sauce cooked down, the aroma filled the house stimulating your appetite to a seemingly insatiable level. Every now and then you had to go in the kitchen to give the sauce a stir so that it didn't burn,and of course snitch a meatball in the process. It's important to make more meatballs than you think you will need. Mixing and rolling those meatballs on Saturday night was my job and little did I realize then, the beginning of my love for cooking.
By one o'clock the windows were pretty well steamed up and the smell of tomato sauce permeated all of your senses. Finally we got to sit down to a repast that could have fed an army. If unexpected guests arrived---no problem. There was always enough. We always served the pasta first (except we didn't call it pasta then---we called it macaroni). Then came the meat followed by the salad. And dessert? Fuggeddaboudit-who had room for it? Well perhaps we had room later that evening while we were sitting around watching Ed Sullivan.

Most Italian-American men are fiercely loyal to their mother's 'il sugo' and I am no different. I will be so bold as to say that I think I have improved on Mom's sauce by virtue of now using locally raised grass-fed beef and by making our own sausage from pigs that we have raised ourselves. We know what they have eaten and not eaten.

An interesting side note is that my mother who is not Italian, certainly learned to cook like one. And you can too. Sunday Gravy, The Big Ragu is one of the many offerings in our Spring Cooking Classes at Crippen Creek.

Our most popular class, Artisan Bread Baking is on the schedule several times. We have also scheduled a class on Italian Country Cooking,(how to eat and entertain, Italian style), Pizza and Calzone and Just Desserts (in which you can learn how to make a Perfect Tiramisu). We keep our class size small so that you get lots of personal attention, accommodating the aspiring novice as well as the seasoned veteran. It's a great way to spend an afternoon or evening, or better yet come out for a Culinary Getaway Weekend. Consider a gift certificate for a cooking class as a great alternative to buying more stuff. A complete listing of our classes is now listed on our website. We hope to see you at one of our classes.

OK, you are probably ready for some pictures by now.

passing on the tradition

Meatballs made from local beef and pork

Homemade Italian Sausage compliments of
Our dear Porchetta

Porchetta

Tutti a tavola! (everyone to the table)

Mangia!Mangia!

Don's comfort food

for carnivores only
Here are a few shots from our cooking classes.

Artisan Bread Baking
learn to make this Italian Country Loaf at home

students from Italian Country Cooking Class
enjoying the fruits of their labor

And finalmente....

A Perfect Tiramisu

Now what about you? Do you have a version of this classic dish in your family? Or were you lucky enough to have an Italian friend that invited you to Sunday dinner? How about sharing your own ethnic family traditions with our readers? Are there some cooking class themes you would like for us to offer?

We will continue to highlight Italian-American cuisine in future posts but in the meantime you might want to visit
Italyville and Proud Italian Cook. I love these blogs.

Buon appetito!

From Our Kitchen

2009-02-17T20:55:00.000-08:00

Now that we have managed to get through most of the winter storm clean up, I hope to get back to writing about more enjoyable things such as food. So let's catch up on what we have been cooking and serving at the inn lately.

CRISP ROSEMARY FLAT BREAD
Gourmet, July 2008

This is really more of a cracker than a bread. It's a great alternative to bread and far better than any crackers you can buy in a store. What's more it's really simple to prepare.

8 3/4 oz of flour (1 3/4 cups)
1 Tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary (plus 2 sprigs)
1 teaspoon of baking powder
3/4 teaspoons of kosher salt
1/2 cup of water
1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil (plus more for brushing on)
Coarse sea salt or kosher salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Stir together flour, chopped rosemary, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the water and olive oil. Gradually stir into the flour with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Turn dough out on to a floured work surface and knead gently 4 or 5 times.

Divide the dough into 3 pieces and roll out 1 piece into a 10 inch round. The shape should be rustic and the dough should be thin.

Place the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Lightly brush the top with additional olive oil and scatter small clusters of rosemary leaves on top, pressing them into the dough. Sprinkle with sea salt or kosher salt. Bake until golden and browned in spots, for 8-10 minutes. Cool slightly on a wire rack and break into pieces to serve.

From that same issue of Gourmet comes this great accompaniment.
GOAT CHEESE WITH OLIVES, LEMON AND THYME

1/2 cup of assorted olives
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
4-5 oz medallion of fresh goat cheese

heat olives, thyme, oil, lemon zest and pepper in s small saucepan over low heat just until fragrant. cool to room temperature, pour over the goat cheese and serve with crisp rosemary bread.

One of my favorite dishes to serve in the winter is osso buco. The classic preparation of this dish calls for veal shanks slowly braised with vegetables, wine and broth. Given the high cost of veal these days and the difficulty in finding humanely raised veal, we decided to substitute one of our pasture raised chickens. Since our chickens have firmer muscle and a little more chew than a supermarket chicken, they are a perfect candidate for the slow braising process, and the flavors married beautifully. The meat just falls off the bone.

CHICKEN OSSO BUCO

1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
2/3/cup finely chopped carrot
2/3 cup finely chopped celery
¼ cup butter
1 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 strips lemon peel
½ cup olive oil
8 chicken thighs (preferably with bone in)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken broth
1 ½ cups canned tomatoes coarsely chopped, with their juice
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried basil
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Saute the onion, carrot and celery in the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil
About 8-10 minutes…until soft. Remove them from the pan and set aside in a bowl.
3. Dredge the chicken in the flour with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining oil in the pan and when it is quite hot, brown the chicken pieces in the oil on both sides.
4. When all the chicken is brown, remove them from the pan and drain off most of the fat. Add the wine and boil briskly for 3 minutes scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
5. Return the vegetables to the pan and set the chicken pieces on top, add the broth, tomatoes and spices and lemon peel. If you are using canned broth, hold off on the salt until after cooking. The liquid should come up to the top of the chicken. Add more broth if necessary.
6. Bring the contents of the casserole to a simmer on the stove top. Cover tightly and place in the lower third of the preheated oven. Cook for about 2 hours, carefully turning and basting the chicken pieces every 20 minutes. When done, they should be very tender when pricked with a fork, and the sauce should be dense and creamy. If the sauce seems to thin when the chicken is done, remove the chicken to a warm platter, place the uncovered casserole on top of the stove, and over high heat briskly boil the sauce until it thickens. Pour the sauce over the veal and serve piping hot.

Risotto Milanese would be a good choice to serve with this as is a POLENTA WITH BUTTER AND CHEESE, which is what we chose to do.

2 cups coarse-grained cornmeal
1 tablespoon salt
¼ lb. butter
8 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Bring 7 cups of water to a boil in a large heavy pot.
Add the salt and turn the heat down to medium low so that the water is just simmering, and add the cornmeal in a very thin stream, stirring with a wooden spoon. Keep the water at a slow, steady simmer while stirring.

Continue stirring for 20 minutes after all the cornmeal has been added. The polenta is done when it tears away from the sides of the pot as you stir. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and cheese.

Adapted from THE CLASSIC ITALIAN COOKBOOK by Marcella Hazan

A new recipe from Bon Appetit was the perfect ending for this meal
COFFEE CARAMEL CREME BRULEE

2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
1/4 cup dark-roast coffee beans (such as French roast; about 3/4 ounce), crushed with mallet in plastic bag
1 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup water
2 cups half and half
8 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt

Bring 1 cup cream and coffee beans to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat; cover and let steep at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Stir 2/3 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber, swirling pan occasionally, about 11 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Add remaining 1 cup whipping cream (mixture will bubble up). Stir over low heat until caramel is smooth. Stir in half and half. Strain coffee-infused cream into caramel cream; discard coffee beans in strainer.

Whisk yolks, salt, and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in cream mixture. Strain custard into large measuring cup.

Arrange eight 2/3- to 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups in roasting pan. Divide custard among ramekins. Add enough warm water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins or custard cups.

Bake custards until just set in center, 30-40 minutes. Transfer custards from water bath directly to refrigerator. Chill uncovered until cold, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.

Usually I caramelize the top by sprinkling sugar on them and heating them with a blow torch or under the broiler of the oven. I used a different technique that I have come to prefer.

Stir 1/2 cup of sugar together with 3 tablespoons of water. Heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup comes to a boil. Stop stirring and allow it to boil until it turns a deep amber color. Remove from the heat pour about 1/2 tablespoon on to each custard. It will turn into a shiny glass-like caramel.

This Month At Redmen Hall

2009-02-09T13:48:00.000-08:00

Redmen Hall

What started out as a small schoolhouse in 1894 has become a museum highlighting the history of Skamokawa and also features a fabulous Lewis and Clarke display.
On display this month at Redmen Hall are the works of several very talented local artists.

Ruth Doumit with her mosaics and stained glass

Mike Rees and Mike Swift

Mike Rees has an amazing display of black and white photography from all over the world and Mike Swift is displaying his beautiful landscape paintings and vintage cars.

The exhibit also includes work by photogaraphers David Vik and Ruby Murray.

Redmen Hall is open Thursday-Sunday from Noon to 4. If you happen to be staying with us on a different day than that, Kitty can probably get you in since she is a docent there.

Perfect Storm Part II

2009-01-10T22:18:00.000-08:00

As anxious as we were, we did go to bed and managed to sleep. During the night, the rain abated, the tide slackened and the waters of Crippen Creek receded and returned to the confines of its banks and never reached our house. Whew! It became abundantly clear how effective the creek bank restoration project was, allowing the creek to flood where it should and taking the energy off of critical points. Thank you Darin Houpt and the Wahkiakum County Conservation District.

With the roads now passable we managed to get out and take a few pictures of the area.

Our Fairgrounds

Elk looking for high ground

Julia Butler Hansen Wildlife Refuge

If I have learned anything over my years, it is that when portentous events invade our lives that we should not be too hasty to label them as "bad" or "negative." I find these events worthy of reflection. When a seeming calamity strikes it's only natural to ask, "what do I do about it?" As important as that question is, I believe a more important question to ask is, "what do I do with it?"

It's like the tale of a farmer that snags his plow on something in the field. Rather than curse his interruption he stops to examine it, dig it up and in so doing, unearths a buried treasure. And while this weather event interrupted our plans, we too found our treasures. Our lives intersected with neighbors who came to check on our welfare. I marvel at how a crisis brings out the best in people. The roads cleared in time to allow us to return to Portland to and support a dear friend who lost her brother. As one thing leads to another, we found ourselves reconnecting with some friends that we have not seen for some time. We were greatly nourished by the good wishes, thoughts and prayers that we received from family and friends via phone calls and emails. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

A Perfect Storm Part 1

2009-01-07T21:31:00.000-08:00

Torrential rains, several feet of melting snow in the Willapa Hills, and high tides have converged to create a storm of apocalyptic proportions here in SW Washington. Wahkiakakum County has been declared a disaster area. Almost four inches of rain has fallen here in the last 24 hours and they say we have not seen the worst of it yet. So far our house is high and dry but it's looking kind of dicey on the west side of the house.

Although many of the county roads are impassable due to high water a few angels appeared to check on us and brought us some sandbags just in case. I never cease to be amazed by the kindness of the people who live in Wahkiakum County.

A Band of Angels

We like waterfront property, but not this much.

Sleep will not come easily tonight as we wait and wonder how much worse this storm will get. But in this moment we are well and hope the same for all of you. We'll be in touch soon..."God willing and the creek don't rise." By the way, that saying really has nothing to do with creeks.

Leave the gun, take the cannoli

2009-01-06T19:08:00.000-08:00

Cannoli has to be one of the greatest treasures of Sicilian cuisine. It was certainly one of my favorite desserts growing up and is always a hit with our family during the holidays. Growing up in an Italian-American community like Rochester, NY, cannoli was readily available at the numerous Italian bakeries and delis and even at Wegman's grocery store. But alas, here in the Pacific Northwest, if you want cannoli you have to make it yourself. Although making the shells is a lot of work, you really end up with a superior product. Homemade shells should be light, crisp and shatter when you bite into them. The ricotta cream filling should be smooth and not grainy. It is important to strain the ricotta overnight in cheesecloth to drain off some of the water. I sweeten mine with powdered sugar and flavor it with a little vanilla extract, mini chocolate chip morsels and just a hint of fresh orange zest. I am not a fan of the candied fruit that appears in some recipes but sometimes I add a little goat cheese to the ricotta in an effort to approximate the tanginess of sheepsmilk ricotta that would be available in Sicily.
Never fill your cannoli shells before serving time nor should you purchase cannoli that are already filled because the shells will become soggy if they sit for too long.

If you are not familiar with cannoli you should know that cannoli is actually the plural form of cannolo. But who ever orders just one cannolo? And if you did, the clerk would probably look at you like you had a third eye. Common usage prevails here in America so feel free to call one of these pastry tubes a cannoli and use an "s" to pluralize it if you wish. The next time someone asks you to bring the dessert to a party, remember the advice of Peter Clemenza in The Godfather, "leave the gun, take the cannoli."

We would love to hear from all you cannoli lovers so please post your comments about the best cannoli you have had and where to get them.

cannoli tubes wrapped with pastry dough and ready to fry

Shea Mielke enjoys the first of many cannoli

Happy New Year!

2009-01-06T11:45:00.000-08:00

"If the only prayer we ever say in our life is 'Thank You,' that will be enough."

-Meister Eckhart

It is with that sentiment in mind that we say "Thank You" to our families, friends and guests and patrons of Crippen Creek that have encouraged us and supported us in this wonderful adventure. May you all be blessed with a very Happy New Year!

The year ended with one of the wildest winters we can recall since living in the Pacific Northwest. Almost 2 feet of snow fell here in Skamokawa and although it created an awesome winter wonderland, it proved to be a bit much for an area that is unaccustomed to it. It took hours of digging, pushing and towing to get cars in and out of here. Our beloved hoop house collapsed under the weight of the snow and the stovepipe on our barn's wood stove came crashing down in an avalanche of melting snow.

We are grateful for wonderful neighbors like Al McClain who dug us out.

I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm

2008-12-21T11:37:00.000-08:00

The snow is snowing, the wind is blowing.
But I can weather the storm!
What do I care how much it may storm?
I've got my love to keep me warm.
-Irving Berlin

A foot of snow fell on the valley floor here in Skamokawa. Guests had to cancel, cooking classes canceled. Nothing to do but curl up by the fire and just enjoy what is.

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-04T17:16:00.000-08:00

"Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love."

-Hamilton Wright Mabie

We do not have snow as this picture suggests--this is from last winter.

It is 4:30 pm here in Skamokawa and we have just completed the day's chores. The sun is setting over the Willapa Hills creating one of those skies that makes you wish you could paint. I love this time of day when the light changes and all is quiet but for the bubbling of Crippen Creek and the crackling of a fire in the fireplace. As I sit here sipping a cup of hot tea (I would prefer a glass of wine, but I've really got to cut some calories,) I am reflecting on the fact that it is the season to wish you all a Happy Holiday! And I only know that because the calendar tells me so. We are blessed to be without television and radio reception and thus are spared the relentless assault of inane Christmas commercials. And so we are better able to enter into the deeper meaning of the season.

While some may think that our wishes for a Happy Holiday is a sellout to political correctness, we prefer to think that it is a sensitivity to and acknowledgment of the fact Christmas is not the only holiday celebrated this month. My calendar shows me that there is also Hannukkah and Kwanzaa and we know many people that celebrate the Winter Solstice. As different as these traditions are from one another, they do seem to share the common theme of wishing their fellow beings a season of peace and joy. They also seem to share a tradition of gift giving. So now I would like to share our thoughts and suggestions on gift giving and certainly hope that it will not be crass.

First, I would like to recommend a wonderful book on this subject called The Hundred Dollar Holiday by Bill McKibben.

It is a quick and easy read but full of wisdom and history of our gift giving traditions. He offers creative suggestions for those that have grown weary of this season's crass commercialism.

The Christmas we now celebrate grew up at a time when Americans were mostly poor ... mostly working with their hands and backs." If we now feel burdened and unsatisfied by the piles of gifts and overconsuming, it is not because Christmas has changed all that much, "It's because we have." - Bill McKibben

Our second recommendation is for a new book by our good friend and local Skamokawa author, Beth Sheresh. Beth has just published a wonderful cookbook entitled, Picture Yourself Cooking With Your Kids. What a great way to spend quality time with your kids, the little ones and the big ones. And if you don't have kids, it's still a great cookbook. There's even a recipe for the Speranza Family Meatballs. Beth is a great bread baker and all around great foodie. Check out her blog the kitchenmage.

While you can certainly get these books at Amazon.com we hope you will support your local independent bookstore. We are fortunate to have Trillium Books in nearby Cathlamet.

Last but not least, if you are tired of buying and receiving stuff, may we suggest the gift of an experience. The Inn At Crippen Creek Farm offers gift certificates for all occasions.

A cooking class ($55-85 depending on the class)

An overnight stay , double occupancy ($132, taxes included)*

Romantic Getaway (An overnight stay with dinner for two - $199, taxes included)*

Culinary Getaway (An overnight stay with an Italian Country Cooking Class for two- $290)*

*includes a bountiful country breakfast

We would also be glad to work with you on customizing a package to meet your needs.

If you have never been to The Inn At Crippen Creek Farm, you may wonder just what it is that you will experience at our country bed and breakfast. For starters, you can expect warm hospitality and complimentary appetizers with wine on arrival.

Some guests like to help with the farm chores.

This pile of firewood is still waiting for some lucky guest that wants to stack it.

Some like to go for a walk or bike ride on a country road.

Some like to venture out to the Washington Coast during the clamming season.

How about a picnic after a morning of kayaking?

Early risers in the winter can enjoy watching the elk graze on the front lawn

Enjoy some of the finest dining in the area right here at the inn with a locavore dinner.

How about a rousing game of Scrabble? I'll teach you my favorite two letter words that are bound to make your opponents utter four letter words.

Take a cooking class and learn the fine art of Italian Country Cooking.

And finally everyone's favorite activity--hanging out.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-02T08:39:00.000-08:00

O Winter! ruler of the inverted year, . . . I crown thee king of intimate delights, Fireside enjoyments, home-born happiness, And all the comforts that the lowly roof Of undisturb’d Retirement, and the hours Of long uninterrupted evening, know.
—William Cowper

As the days grow shorter and the darkness and weather force us to spend more time in our dwellings, it seems apt that this time of year also sends us inward to our personal interior....a place to rest, reflect and be renewed. Thanksgiving Day is a perfect time to start this journey as we gather with family and friends and pause to celebrate our blessings. We hope that despite the economic turmoil our world is experiencing, that you still find much for which to be thankful.

Kitty and I find ourselves truly grateful for the many guests that have graced our home in this past year. The wonderful conversations over a shared meal is truly heaven on earth.

We had a splendid Thanksgiving celebration with family, friends and of course good food.

The Table Is Set

Deep Fried Turkey

Oven Roasted Vegetables

Kate's Amazing Apple Pie

Pumpkin Ginger Cheesecake Pie

Family and Friends
What more do we need?

Harvest Time

2008-11-14T08:03:00.000-08:00

“Harvest home, harvest home!

We’ve plowed, we’ve sowed,

We’ve reaped, we’ve mowed,

And brought safe home,

Every load”

_Harvest Home Song

The garden crops have been put up for some time now. This was our third gardening season at Crippen Creek and definitely our best one thanks to the hoophouse. Our eggplant that took best in show in the Wahkiakum County Fair became ratatouille and eggplant parmigiana. The tomatoes became roasted tomato sauce and salsa.

The chickens are in the freezer and today we completed the harvest with the slaughter of the pigs.

When you are involved in raising your own food, especially livestock, it changes your relationship with food.

To quote Wendell Berry, "Some I know, will think of it as bloodthirsty or worse to eat a fellow creature you have known all its life. On the contrary, I think it means that you eat with understanding and with gratitude." Although the harvesting of the pigs was tinged with a little sadness, we take solace in the fact that we raised them with the best care possible and that they were dispatched without any trauma.

Play Time

2008-09-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

It doesn't happen often enough but once in awhile we manage to get in some play time.
Skamokawa is home to some of the best kayaking in the country so we recently treated ourselves to a day of instruction from a world-class instructor, Ginni Callahan. Ginni is one of nine kayakers that own and operate Columbia River Kayaking and one of only 3 US women to achieve the British Canoe Union's highest skill rating, the 5-star award. She is certified as a BCU level 4 Sea Coach and by the American Canoe Association as an Advanced Open Water Instructor. They have tours and instruction for all skill levels.
We were paddling past Twin Gables when friend, neighbor and fellow innkeeper, Stevan Morgain snapped these pictures for us.

Ginni Callahan

If you are considering a kayak adventure in Skamokawa The Inn At Crippen Creek Farm can provide you with a picnic lunch and a nourishing dinner after a vigorous day on the river. Then retire to your room and let the sounds of Crippen Creek lull you to sleep.

A Bridge to Nowhere?

2008-09-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

Alaska may have it's "bridge to nowhere," but Crippen Creek now has a bridge to somewhere. And that somewhere is the other side of the creek where 7 acres of our land has been sitting fallow for years. The bridge is courtesy of Wahkiakum County Conservation District through a grant from U.S Fish and Wildlife. It is one component of a large conservation program on our land that has been developing for 2 years. It all started shortly after we acquired the land and realized that we knew nothing about managing 15 acres with a creek that has a mind of its own and can become a raging river after a few days of heavy rainfall. With the intent of becoming good stewards of the land, we contacted the Conservation District to see if they could guide us. It turns out they were eager to work with us and all of our neighbors that live on the creek. Their goal was to improve the water quality of the streams and improve the habitat for fish and wildlife. Crippen Creek is a spawning creek for salmon and steelhead so it was a perfect candidate for their program. They chose our property to be a demonstration site since it lent itself to using so many components of their program. They peeled back the banks to a 3 to 1 slope, planted willow and grass and placed large woody structures in the creek to divert the water and dissipate its energy.

Here's a before picture of the creek bank during a heavy rain.

The creek bank after peeling it back

And why a bridge? So we can move livestock without crossing them through the creek and so we can manage several acres of trees that will be planted as part of the conservation program. Anyone want to come to a work party? We'll feed you and give you B&B Bucks.

It should be an interesting winter to see if the plan works as intended. Some people have a knee-jerk reaction to letting the government get involved with their land but our experience so far has been very positive. It's a shining example of a local government agency working for the taxpayers.

Guest Chef

2008-09-20T15:52:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights of this summer was a visit from my nephew Michael Speranza. Mike, a professional chef with Custom Culinary was in Seattle on business and managed to get away to Crippen Creek for a couple of nights. Besides just having a great visit, we got a cooking lesson from Mike using some of our great local food that we are always bragging about. But first Mike got a first hand look at where our food comes from.

Chef Michael Sloppin the Hogs

Then we barbecued some baby back ribs from Crippen Creek Farm and beef short ribs from
Zimmerman Beef.

Barbecued ribs with bourbon molasses glaze

Then Mike gave us a lesson in preparing my all time favorite...rack of lamb from Greyfields Farm.

Start with a great piece of meat

Remove fat and silverskin
Sear it

Coat it with Dijon mustard

Cover with seasoned bread crumbs

Roast it

Carve it

And serve it.

Rack of Lamb with demiglaze and acini

This was truly the most incredible lamb I have ever eaten.

And for dessert...Creme Brulee

A Gathering Place

2008-09-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time. ~John Lubbock

I can tell you we spent more time cutting the grass than lying on it. But when we could find moments of idleness, it was the screened porch that quickly became our retreat. With its walls of knotty cedar, its squeak-bang door, (it opens with a squeak and closes with a bang), and its view of the creek, it has easily become our favorite gathering place. A place to gather with friends but especially a place to gather our thoughts, a place to rest, reflect and be renewed.
We were indulging in such a moment one morning with our morning coffee when our reverie was interrupted by what sounded like a woman screaming somewhere downstream. It was a blood chilling scream of a cougar, serving as a potent reminder of who really owns the real estate around here. It was a moment that inspired awe, respect and reverence. We are so grateful to be living here.

When Pigs Fly

2008-08-04T18:07:00.000-07:00

Kitty and I can now attest first hand that pigs can fly. Recently we purchased four weaner pigs to raise and sell. Weaner pigs are so called because they have been weaned from the sow, not because they are going to become wieners, which they are, but that's another story. We took great care to prepare their new home, a hutch to house them, complete with automatic feeder and waterer. Then we surrounded it all with electric netting to contain them and protect them from predators.

We unloaded the first pig and she checked out her surroundings, touched her wet snout to the electric fence and got appropriately shocked. She went to another side of the fence and did it again. "Great," I'm thinking, "she's going to learn this quickly." And in the blink of an eye we saw all four feet leave the ground as she flew through the electric netting. We just stood there with mouths agape not believing our eyes. I don't think a sitcom has been produced that could match the comedy of two 59 year old farmer wannabes trying to catch a pig on the run. Why anybody would ever grease a pig is beyond me. They are incredibly fast and agile. Some neighbors came to help and at one point four of us were on this pig and she still managed to elude us. Two hours later, Kitty made the decisive tackle that ended this merry romp. No animals were hurt in this escapade but some humans were a little bruised and battered. We got her safely back to the truck while we worked on plan B for containing them, which turned out to be a second layer of netting with smaller holes, which has been working quite well to date. They seem to have learned a healthy respect for the netting.

Porchetta, Salumi, Prosciutto and Ham Hock

Unloading the first pig
Checking things out

Pig on the run

So do you call a crafty pig like this, CunningHam?

pigs drink 5-7 gallons of water per day

They love to wallow in the mud since they do not have sweat glands.

using the self feeder

They love to root

We all know what their ultimate fate is, but until then these pigs will have the healthiest, happiest life they can frolicking, rooting, wallowing and of course eating.

You can purchase pork by the half or the whole. A half pig yields about 80 lbs. of meat and takes up almost 4 cu. ft. of freezer space. If that sounds like too much for your family consider sharing half with another small family. Once you've had pasture raised pork you won't want factory farmed pork again. Call or email us for details. (360)795-0585 theinn@crippencreek.com

When The Farmer is Ready, The Tractor Will Appear

2008-06-30T09:11:00.000-07:00

Every man that has set foot on our property asks, "what kind of tractor do you have?" or some variation of that. Sometimes I would ask them to repeat the question just in case Kitty didn't hear it. She was beginning to suspect a conspiracy. But recently we were looking at all the work here, the grass that never stops growing, the heavy loads that need to be moved around coupled with the fact that neither of us is a spring chicken. So we both agreed that the time has come for us to get a tractor. The very next day, a friend called to say that he and his wife wanted to gift us with a donation towards a tractor. I was speechless. He went on to explain that they don't currently belong to a church but do believe in tithing and Crippen Creek has become church for them so this is where they wanted to spend their tithe. One good thing begets another and soon more friends made a contribution. To say that we are humbled and grateful is an understatement. And so to all of our Friends of Crippen Creek, we thank you for the donations, your patronage , your helping hands, your advice and your encouraging words.

A Montana 3940HST
(we just call her HANNAH)

We're farmin' now!

And now for another tractor story. My first tractor experience was in 2002. I had recently retired from the Portland Police Bureau. My good friend, Norm (trust me, it's just around the bend) Sharp and I had decided to make and end of career pilgrimage. You know, figure out who you are now that you don't wear a badge and a uniform. So Norm headed out for Spain on the
Camino and I headed to Lafayette, Oregon for a 30 day Monastic Life Retreat at a Trappist Abbey. One morning I was assigned to work with Brother Gerard in woods cutting firewood. He was going to be driving an ATV into the woods and I was to follow on this old behemoth of a tractor with a bad clutch. He begins my instructions for driving the tractor by telling me about a monk who had flipped the tractor and lost his arm. So I'm figuring out real quickly who I am...someone who does not want to be driving this tractor. It must have registered on my face as Brother John walked by and asked if I would like a different assignment. "No," I lied. After all I came here to get out of my comfort zone and grow. Within a few minutes I was getting a feel for it and all was going reasonably well. I followed him into the woods, we cut wood, and I hauled it back to the abbey without incident. While I was unloading the wood, Brother G said he would head back to the woods and I should join him there after I finished unloading. I'm feeling pretty good about myself as I'm driving back into the woods, but when it seems like this is taking longer than it should , I realize that I am lost. One spur off the road looked like another. I realize that I have climbed this hill much higher than previously and now I am positive that I am lost. I managed to get myself turned around and started back down when suddenly the tractor starts sliding sideways. Panic sets in and in words more fitting of a sailor than a monk I exclaim, "Oh #%*#," as I am trying to figure which way I should jump off the tractor. Then the words of Psalm 38 came to mind, "Lord make haste to help me." Well I did manage to get the tractor stopped without rolling it or inuring anything more than my pride. I couldn't find Brother Gerard, so I hiked back down to the abbey and with the help of Brother John we got the tractor unstuck and a good laugh was had by all. The pictures below show jobs I was better suited to.

Baking Bread

Pressing cider

June is Bustin Out All Over

2008-06-29T20:03:00.000-07:00

The first two weeks of June had us wondering if it would ever stop raining. But it did finally stop, summer arrived and suddenly everything was growing.....the roses, the peonies, strawberries, broccoli raab and of course the grass which seems like it never stops growing.

Broccoli Raab

All that rain delayed many of our garden chores so we have been playing catch up since the sun returned. I mentioned in a previous post that we had a plan for growing tomatoes and eggplant this year. Here's that plan in action....a hoop house.

The plan for this greenhouse comes from the WSDA Extension Service and we have high hopes that it will be the solution for our cool nights and short growing season. Kitty and I actually built this ourselves which means anybody can do it. However, we did need help some extra hands putting the plastic on. And at just the right time, a couple of "angels" showed up to help.

Sandy and Larry

Meet Sandy and Larry. They are WWOOFers. WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. Sandy and Larry are volunteer helpers who are passionate about sustainable farming and have volunteered their help on farms throughout the world.

Our Red Broilers that we got in the mail 3 weeks ago are also growing. They left the brooder today and are now on fresh green grass.
And while we are working hard others around here are just resting and reflecting.

Eat Local, Save Oil

2008-06-10T06:26:00.000-07:00

"If every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we would reduce our country's oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week. That's not gallons but barrels. Small changes in buying habits can make very big differences. Becoming a less energy-dependent nation may just start with a good breakfast."
- Barbara Kingsolver
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

You've Got Mail

2008-06-08T07:50:00.000-07:00

I was knee deep in bread dough on Friday morning when the post office called to tell me to come down and pick up my package of live birds. Can you believe there are 50 chickens in this little box?

Fifty Red Broilers arrived safely from a hatchery in Vermont.

This brooder will be their home for the next 2-3 weeks until they feather out. After that they will live in portable pens and rotated on fresh pasture every day for 8-10 weeks.

These Red Broilers are an alternative to factory raised chicken. Our birds are humanely raised and get to enjoy fresh grass and sunshine everyday and are raised for 10 -12 weeks instead of the 4-6 weeks that you get from the supermarket. That results in a chicken with more interesting taste and texture and arguably more nutritious as they have more time to develop complex amino acids. This method of production is also good for our land. They fertilize as they till. Look at some of our layer hens helping me out.

ORDERING INFORMATION:The RED BROILERS are $3.75 per lb. They will average between 4-6 lbs. at maturity. They will be available for pick up/delivery sometime in mid August. Call or email us to reserve yours. (360) 795-0595 email:theinn@crippencreek.com

2008-05-22T05:35:00.000-07:00

"The world's favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May."

-Edwin Way Teale

I think that May is without a doubt, the busiest month for chores. Spring seems to make its appearance overnight with grass growing faster than you can cut it.

My favorite chore-Scything

Sucker holes (patches of blue sky) tease you into starting an outdoor chore only to find yourself in the middle of a downpour a few minutes into the project. So you abandon the project and retreat indoors only to be lured out again a few minutes later. And so the cycle continues until you resign yourself to the fact that you are going to get wet or the project won't get done. That's when you know you have become a true citizen of the rainforest.

In May I find myself "drunk" with possibilities for the garden. My head is filled with visions of luscious ripe tomatoes and dusky purple eggplant and fragrant sweet basil. Our short growing season has thwarted our first two attempts at tomatoes and eggplant but we've got a plan this year so be sure to check back often to see our plan is working out.

The garlic we planted last fall is looking good and guests have already been enjoying the rhubarb, usually as a compote for panna cotta or Belgian waffles.

Garlic

Panna Cotta with Rhubarb Compote

My favorite greens, broccoli raab and escarole are sprouting. If you have never tried these, you're missing out on great Italian soul food. Either of these greens are great sauteed in garlic and olive oil as an accompaniment to a roast.

Broccoli Raab with Porchetta

I especially like the escarole with a white bean soup sometimes known just as "beans & greens".

Beans & Greens

The recipes for these great dishes are posted on our website. You can also learn how to prepare these dishes at one of our cooking classes. Gift certificates to a cooking class or a night at our inn with dinner make memorable gifts without adding more "stuff" to someone's life.

In June we will be offering a class on Quick and Easy Pasta Dishes for Summer as well as our always popular Beginning Artisan Bread Baking. The details are on our website. Here are a few shots from our cooking classes.

Bread production kicked into high gear this month with the opening of the Farm Market.

In response to customers who have been requesting a whole grain bread, we are pleased to present our Oatmeal Bread made with a combination of white and whole wheat flour and of course, oatmeal. It's actually as delicious as it is healthy, and makes exceptionally great toast.

And when you are throwing caution to the wind, you gotta have Kitty's Cinnamon Rolls.

Or her Pecan Sticky Buns.

There's more to say but the chores are calling . I'll be trying harder to keep this updated on a weekly basis. Until then, we hope you find spring full of possibilities.

I Shot 32 Elk!

2008-03-31T06:27:00.000-07:00

I shot 32 elk in my pajamas...how they got in my pajamas, I'll never know. O.K. that was a pretty cheap Groucho Marx joke but it is true. I have spent several days this past week shooting elk with my camera. Snow in the Willapa Hills has been driving the elk herd down to valley in search of grass. This has provided endless entertainment for us in the morning as we sip our morning coffee. It has also been an exercise in mindfulness. The elk are so close to the house and so sensitive to our presence that we have to move slowly and deliberately lest we scare them off.

Friday is Bread Day

2008-03-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

Focaccia with rosemary

If you are lucky enough to stay at our B&B on a Thursday night, chances are, you will wake up the next morning to the smell of baking bread, in addition to the smell of fresh-brewed coffee. Every Friday we bake artisan breads such as focaccia, ciabatta, and French baguettes for our bread subscribers. We also make delicious cinnamon rolls for those customers with a sweet tooth. Non-subscribers can purchase our bread at the Skamokawa Town Center on Fridays throughout the year. You'll also find it at the Two Island Farm Market from May to October.

Ciabatta

Baguettes

Breads baked by our students in our bread baking class

Muffuletta on focaccia