This month, we’ve got snowy hikes to lakes, holiday celebrations all over the state and a delectable recipe you’ll want to share with your friends and family this holiday season.

See you in Oregon, where we’re bundling up to play in the snow.

~ The Editors

This month, we’re giving you a chance to live out your foodie dreams in Oregon with the Win an Oregon Bounty Cuisinternship Contest. And, while you’re at it, you can plan your fall foodie getaway with our new culinary travel website!

Also this month, we’re celebrating Oregon’s bounty with Roasted Pork Tenderloin with White Bean Pancetta Ragu.

Come see us in Oregon, where heirloom tomatoes at are at their peak at our farmers’ markets.

~The Editors

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with White Bean Pancetta Ragu (serves 6)

Here’s our cast of characters. Note: the recipe calls for 4 cups of cooked white beans. Typically, I would have cooked these myself, but I didn’t have the time to soak the beans. Glad I got that off my chest!

After dicing up your pancetta, add it to a pan with olive oil and cook until crisp. Once crisp, place on a paper-towel lined plate.

Next, add the onions to the pan and cook until just brown. Next, add the garlic and saute for about a minute.

Add the beans (we rinsed our canned beans off before adding), chicken stock, and herbs to the pan. Let boil, and then reduce the heat to simmer.

After seasoning the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper, add to a very hot oven-proof saute pan. (I do not have an oven-safe saute pan, so I used this grill pan instead. It worked). Sear on all sides and then place into a 375 degree pre-heated oven. Cook until the internal temperature is 140 degrees. Ours took about 12 minutes. And, now for a very important tip: When you take the pan out of the oven, it’s very easy to forget (for me at least) that the handle is still very hot. Please, learn from my mistakes, and put an oven mitt over the handle and leave it there until it’s cooled.

Now, allow the pork to rest for a few minutes and then slice and place over the ragu!.

Enjoy!

The verdict: Delicious and a great fall meal!

Full Recipe Here

All this gorgeous weather means it’s time to hit the links. Oregon is home to more than 200 public golf courses – and we’re talking amazing courses -  Bandon Dunes, Pumpkin Ridge, Running Y and other championship links designed by world-famous course architects.

Finally, we’re so excited about good food that we have TWO recipes this month – one stars the huckleberry and the other is all about fresh-from-the-vine tomatoes.

See you in Oregon, where we’re completing the Oregon 150 Challenge.

-The Editors

It’s tomato season in Oregon! And this recipe from Lake Oswego’s Terrace Kitchen is an easy, elegant way to serve blushing ripe tomatoes. Select small vine and large slicing varieties for a colorful presentation.

A Favorite Northwest Basque Community Tomato Salad (recipe and detailed instructions to follow)

Serves 4

Here we have our cast of characters. Not pictured, as they were being used in another dish, salt and pepper.

First, slice your tomatoes and arrange on a platter. We used some gorgeous heirlooms. Confession: I sampled as I was slicing. It’s kind of fun to taste the unique flavors of each tomato.

Next, slice basil finely. I did this by stacking the basil and rolling it before slicing. Also, meet my glass of A to Z Wineworks Rose’.

Sprinkle the herbs over the tomatoes (the basil, the chives and the flat-leaf parsley). Then drizzle olive oil over the plate and season with salt, pepper and crushed coriander seeds.

And, guess what? You’re done (the photos look identical, I know).

The verdict: this is a great side dish to make when you can’t bear to turn the oven on. We ate this with fresh Coho salmon and loved it!

A Favorite Northwest Basque Community Tomato Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 large tomatoes, sliced (or alternative mixture of tiny vine and large slicing varieties)
• 2 Tablespoons snipped fresh chives with their blossoms
• 2 Tablespoons fresh basil, sliced finely
• 1 Tablespoon chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
• 3 Tablespoons camelina oil or substitute extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
• Local coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper

To prepare

Place the tomatoes on a serving platter or four individual plates. Distribute herbs over tomatoes. Drizzle tomatoes with oil. Sprinkle salads with coriander, salt and pepper to taste.

To Serve

Serve the salad at room temperature, accompanied by some shaved or grated aged sheep’s milk cheese or imported Basque cheese called Ossau-Iraty or Spanish Manchego cheese. Serve with crusty bread or crisp crackers.

The Resort at The Mountain’s Paul M. Bosch, Executive Chef, provided this huckleberry absinthe granita recipe. It stars the little, wild Oregon berry that grows in Mt. Hood National Forest, and other areas around the state, throughout the summer months.

Huckleberry Absinthe Granita
Serves: 4-6

• 1 pound huckleberries (fresh or frozen) should yield 2 cups of juice
• ½ (one-half) cup sugar
• ½ (one-half) cup absinthe, (try Trillium – a local, Oregon brand)
• ½ (one-half) each lemon, juiced

Puree huckleberries in a food processor and pass through a fine strainer, pressing on berries to extract all of the juice to make two cups. Place sugar and absinthe in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix huckleberry juice, absinthe mixture and lemon juice in a bowl.

Pour into a wide Pyrex dish or a metal hotel pan and put in the freezer. Scrape down the sides with a fork approximately every two hours until frozen. It should only take 4-6 hours. It will have a snowflake like appearance.

Store in a plastic container covered in the freezer until service.

To serve:
Rub a double shot glass rim with a lemon wedge and press in a little bit of sugar on a plate. Portion out granita into glass and garnish with huckleberries, lemon zest and a pinch of toasted and finely ground anise.

While you’re at it, why not hit the road? We’ve got a few small-town itineraries that will have you exploring Oregon’s lesser-known areas – perfect fodder for your personal Oregon 150 Challenge.

There are some exciting happenings on the culinary-front as well. This month you can taste more than 70 beers at the 22nd annual Oregon Brewers Fest or try your hand at making Parmesan Fennel Gratin.

See you in Oregon, where we’ve got a lot going on.

-The Editors

Enjoy the delicious flavor of fennel in this popular gratin recipe from Nel Centro, a new restaurant in downtown Portland’s Arts and Culture district celebrating the cuisine of the Riviera with the exceptional ingredients of the Pacific Northwest. This Parmesan fennel gratin dish is an exciting side to grilled meats and fish.

Parmesan Fennel Gratin (detailed recipe and instructions to follow)

Serves 4

Our cast of characters. Not pictured: salt.

Slice both bulbs of fennel from root to tip (being sure to discard the core), then blanch in boiling water for about 3 minutes. Drain the fennel, then let cool.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the fennel and toss. Season with salt and pepper. (Note: we only used about a tablespoon of salt).

Place half of the fennel into a greased casserole dish, then sprinkle half the cheese on top.

Build a second layer with the rest of the fennel and cheese. Pour the heavy cream over the layers and top with bread crumbs. Place into a preheated oven (we baked at 350 degrees) for 20 minutes.

And, voila!

The verdict: I love fennel, so I knew this would be a hit. We served this with brisket and corn on the cob on the Fourth of July. It was a simple, yet perfect addition to our meal.

Let us know if you try this, or any of our other Travel Oregon Recipes of the Month!

Parmesan Fennel Gratin (Serves 4)

Download Printable Recipe

Parmesan Fennel Gratin
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 fresh fennel bulbs
3 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons salt
1/8 (one-eighth) Teaspoon white pepper
¼ (one-quarter) Cup heavy cream
¼ (one-quarter) Cup Parmesan cheese, grated
¼ (one-quarter) Cup breadcrumbs

Slice the fresh fennel bulbs from tip to root. Blanch in salted water for 3 minutes. Cool, dry and reserve.

To build gratin:
Grease an 8-inch casserole dish. Melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the fennel, toss to coat with the melted butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Layer half of the fennel into the casserole and sprinkle half of the cheese on top. Build a second layer with the remaining fennel and cheese. Pour heavy cream over the layers and top with breadcrumbs.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

This month, we’ve got great camping trip ideas, a chance to win a Bike and Brew Getaway and family friendly fishing, so dig out your fishing poles and slather on some sunscreen because the trout are out.

See you in Oregon, where we’re firing up the grill for this month’s lamb skewer recipe.

-The Editors

This recipe hails from Neil Clooney, chef of Ashland’s Dragonfly Café & Gardens. Chef Clooney, who took top honors at Iron Chef Oregon 2008, uses local produce and product in his inventive and delicious Latin / Asian fusion cuisine.

Cumin rubbed lamb skewers with mint mojo, and arugula, asparagus and goat’s cheese salad in chipotle lime dressing (detailed recipe and instructions to follow)
(Serves 3-4)

Our cast of characters. Not pictured: Brown Sugar, Salt, Pepper, and the Chipotle Peppers (we had to run down to the store for these!)

First step is to put together your marinade. Into the bowl goes the cumin, cilantro, garlic, kosher salt, pepper and lamb. Once you’ve mixed it all together, cover and pop into the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

Next, let’s work on the mojo. Into a small food processor, put your mint, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, olive oil. Then, blend until it’s a course puree.

Regretfully, I do not have an image of the chipotle lime glaze preparation. But! It’s easy to prepare – place one chipotle chili and a bit of adobo sauce into a blender along with the lime juice, olive oil, and brown sugar. Blend until it looks like the above.

Now, let’s get our asparagus ready for the grill by breaking off the tough ends, and then seasoning them with salt, pepper and olive oil. We’ll do the same to the goat cheese.
On a very hot grill, quickly char the goat cheese on both sides. Also, add the asparagus and cook for a few minutes, until it has a slight char to it.

Once your asparagus is done, place the lamb onto skewers and place on the very hot grill. If you have a larger grill than I do, be sure to place the lamb on the very hottest part of the grill. Turn every few minutes and once the lamb is slightly charred with a bit pink, remove from the grill and let rest.

While the lamb is resting, cut the asparagus in to thirds and in a large bowl, crumble the goat cheese over it. Add the arugula and lightly dress with the Chipotle Lime Glaze.

And, we’re done! Place the salad on the top of the plate, a kebab in the center, and the mojo at the bottom. Drizzle a bit of the chipotle lime glaze on the lamb kebab. This is a fun summer meal, so I decided to serve it on fun summer plates.

The verdict: This is a perfect summer dinner! Both light, and filling at the same time. I loved the chipotle lime glaze just on it’s own – I think I’ll make this again as a salad dressing.

We asked our Twitter and Facebook friends to suggest a wine for this month’s recipe. From all the great suggestions, we chose a Boedecker Cellars Pinot Noir

Let us know if you try this, or any of our other Travel Oregon Recipes of the Month!

Cumin rubbed lamb skewers with mint mojo, and arugula, asparagus and goat’s cheese salad in chipotle lime dressing
(Serves 3-4)

Download a printable recipe

For the lamb skewers
1.5 Magnolia Farms Lamb kebab meat (you can buy this already cut up)
4 teaspoons cumin, ground
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup cilantro, loosely packed and chopped
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 grinds black pepper from a mill
4 metal skewers

Mix all of the above ingredients in a bowl and massage so they all get to know each other really well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2-4 hours. Then place 5 or 6 pieces on to each skewer.

Mint mojo
1 cup mint leaves packed in tightly, approx 1 bunch
¼ cup cilantro leaves packed in tightly
1 lime, juiced
1 garlic clove
1 pinch kosher salt
¼ cup olive oil
Place all of the ingredients in a small food processor and blend until it’s of a coarse puree consistency.

Chipotle lime glaze
1 chipotle in a little adobo sauce
½ cup olive oil
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup lime juice
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until emulsified.

Salad
1 bunch asparagus, locally grown
6 oz goat cheese, Juniper Grove farm, Redmond OR
3 oz arugula, organically grown in Klamath Falls

To assemble
Start with a really hot grill; lightly season goat cheese and asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper and place on grill. Char the goat cheese quickly on both sides, remove before it melts. The asparagus will take a few minutes longer, it should still be slightly crunchy, a bright green with a little char to it. Place the asparagus and goat cheese on a plate to cool down.

Next put the lamb skewers on the hottest part of the grill for about 10 minutes total, turning every few minutes. When they are slightly pink on the inside with a nice char on the outside, remove skewers and let rest for a few minutes.

Cut asparagus into three lengths and crumble goat cheese into chunky pieces. Add asparagus and goat cheese to arugula and lightly dress with chipotle lime glaze.

Place salad at the top of the plate, a nice tablespoon of the mojo at the bottom, skewers in the middle, then lightly drizzle a bit more chipotle lime dressing over lamb. If you wanted to you could serve some nice warm pita breads with this.