The Oregon Coast is one of the most beautiful stretches of land I have been privileged enough to spend time exploring.  If you are an Oregon native or you are visiting this summer, don't miss some of these great local stops along the way. Have fun!!

-Stay in Astoria's renovated Hotel Elliott, a 1924 historic beauty.  Stop at the Columbian Cafe and ask chef Uriah Hulsey for his catch-of-the-day crepe.  Save room for the wild campfire salmon or the ale-steamed local clams at Baked Alaska .

-Coast Cabins  in Manzanita has the most Northwest-cool lodging on the Oregon Coast.  Rent the North Tower for its loft view and outdoor hot tub.

-Dip your toes into surf culture with Lanny at Shuler Surfboards, his Seaside store and shaping studio.

-Sip on Willamette Valley red or cool down with the Oregon berry sorbet at sleek little Yummy  in downtown Seaside.

-Stretch your legs at Hug Point, mile markers 32 and 33.  Do as the sign says.

Everyone in America has a childhood pickle memory, some great memories of the perfect pickle and some less notable. When my sister and I were kids there was a small pickle company located a couple of towns away and all the local grocery stores in the area had a 55 gallon wooden pickle barrel of their pickles with tongs and plastic bags for you to help yourself. On the side of the barrel was a sign that offered a free pickle to children under 7 years old, a brilliant marketing campaign to capture the next generation of customers. Well, they had me as a loyal customer after only one pickle!

These pickles were really a sour mustard pickle, a rather harsh sensation for a delicate young mouth. I trained myself to enjoy the intense sour flavor by eating slowly, but not waiting too long in between small bites so my mouth wouldn't burn. The company name was the Hescock Pickle Company. It was  located on a bucolic bend in the Kennebec River with 3 large outside cement pools where the pickles cured. All the farmers within a 50 mile radius raised white spine pickling cucumbers for this company to help raise enough money to pay their real estate taxes. Large nets were draped over the pools to keep debris and birds away as the cucumbers transformed into pickles. At the end of the summer when the cure was done they were packed into 5 gallon buckets or wooden pickle barrels and delivered in pickle green pick up trucks to small markets.

1 cup bulgur
2 bunches parsley, leaves coarsely chopped, stems finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped mint leaves
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced diagonally
1 long cucumber, peeled,seeded, and diced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Soak bulgur in 1-1/2 cups boiling water for 1 hour.

Combine bulgur with parsley, mint, scallions, cucumber, and tomatoes; toss to combine. Dress with lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe courtesy of Gastronomer's Guide. 

1 cup bulgur
2 bunches parsley, leaves coarsely chopped, stems finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped mint leaves
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced diagonally
1 long cucumber, peeled,seeded, and diced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Soak bulgur in 1-1/2 cups boiling water for 1 hour.

Combine bulgur with parsley, mint, scallions, cucumber, and tomatoes; toss to combine. Dress with lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe courtesy of Gastronomer's Guide. 

1 packed cup of fresh chopped mint leaves
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups of vodka

Combine the mint and sugar in a container and then pour in vodka and lemon juice. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours and then remove from fridge and strain the mixture into a new clean container. When you’re ready to serve pour over crushed ice and garnish with a few whole mint leaves.

A NOTE ABOUT VODKA

I’m not a man of absolutes, but I’m going to put my foot down here. For heaven’s sake, do whatever it takes and splurge on a high quality vodka, please?  Sure, it’s an odorless clear distilled spirit, but the cheap stuff is a no-no and should never ever be used. Ever. Got that? 

-- Recipe courtesy of MattBites.com    

This was served at our wedding last year and always delights a crowd, hence the name. Not that we have anything against Billy Idol…. It is fruity, sweet, on the lighter side and can be made more like a cooler if you increase the juice.  Frozen fruit is key here as it keeps the drink cold and stops from becoming too mushy in the liquid. Frozen pre-cut fruit works fine or you can do it yourself.

1 bottle of white wine, something fruity like Chenin Blanc works well
1 cup frozen diced peaches
1 cup frozen diced mango
1 red delicious apple, cored and cubed
1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeds removed
8-12 ounces fruit nectar (anything like peach or passionfruit or guava works)

Mix the wine and nectar in a large container, add apples and refrigerate for at least one hour. When you’re ready to serve add the frozen fruit, give it a stir and serve over ice. Garnish each glass with a slice of lemon.

-- Recipe courtesy of MattBites.com