Summer foods

Oregon is certainly the mecca when it comes to delicious foods.  We've got locally-grown, harvested, and processed grains available from Bob's Red Mill just a mile or two from our house.  Strawberries- and berries in general- here are unlike any I've had before.  Deliciously red all the way through- no white interior with super-tart flavor.  Marionberries are named after Marion county in Oregon, so you know you only get the best from here in the state.  Same for cherries- Oregon is well known for its plump, juicy Hood-grown cherries.  True confession: I had never eaten a raw cherry, nor baked with cherries, until we moved to Oregon.  What. A. Shame.  Anyway- Oregon has a wonderfully long growing season and super fertile soil, so that is just the tip of the iceberg.  Mushrooms (chanterelles especially), hazelnuts, and ohmygoodness the wines.  

We're in paradise, for sure.

It's been a great summer so far with our CSA, but we've also tried to get out and explore the other avenues of acquiring some of the fresh produce from the area.  We have perused farmers markets but we like to go straight to the source.  Thus, we made a little trek to Hood River to pick up ten pounds of cherries.  

I had plans for these cherries.  Oh yes.  Big plans.

 Sweet cherry crisp

 I'm getting a little ahead of myself- here are some pictures from our trip to the Hood River Cherry Fest.

 CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE THIS VIEW?!  This is Mt. Hood.  Well, it's the base of Mt. Hood.  She is covered with clouds but it was such a warm, beautiful summer day.  In my humble and slightly biased opinion, Oregon has some of the most majestic views.  But that's not what this post is about....

Cherries!

 We picked up dark sweets, rainiers, and lapins (I think lapins are my favorite, but it really depends on my mood.)

 Rainiers.  Y-U-M.

 Cherry Cobbler

I've also made a cherry pudding cake, and we froze a few different pie and crumble variations.  Thankfully, though, cherry season is just getting started here, so there will be many more cherries to enjoy!

I think having our CSA has helped pull me out of my first-trimester anti-cooking binge.  I was so repulsed by so many foods and so exhausted by pregnancy in general that for months it was hard to motivate myself to get in the kitchen let alone pull together a meal.

Having a variety of super-fresh produce brought to my house each week certainly helps cure that.  Fresh garlic!  Fresh carrots!  Fresh herbs!  Oh, it's been fun.

It's also been a little chilly for July (usually right around 70 degrees) so a hearty soup seemed appropriate.  I really don't need much of an excuse to make soup, to be honest.  There's really nothing like homemade soup, but adding a side of crusty bread with fresh homemade pesto certainly makes it that much better.

Fresh fruit smoothies!  We usually don't get enough fruit in our CSA to bake anything, so we either eat the fruit plain or I blend it up into a smoothie for me and Owen.

I'm looking forward to when harvest season really picks up.  It's not been hot here yet, so I think it will be an interesting- and late- harvest this year.  No complaints here!  We're enjoying everything as it slowly comes in.