Where there's a grill, there's a way

I've got more blueberries and peaches than I know what to do with- I've canned, cobblered, and just plain gorged myself into oblivion on these hot-weather delicacies and there is still fruit to spare. But hey, if that's all I have to gripe about, things must be going pretty well.

I've only consumed 5 servings of cedar planked salmon this week, down from my usual 8-9 weekly servings. Fortunately, just about everything goes with planked salmon and where there's a grill, there's a way!

This week's recipe is Super-Summery Salad with Planked Sockeye topped with a Blueberry Balsamic Reduction, but first, a quick a brush-up on planking technique.
Here's how it works:

First- soak your cedar grilling plank in water. An hour or two prior to grilling will work just fine, but a longer soak time permits the plank to absorb more moisture. This allows for more cedar-infused water vapor to be released during the grilling process.

Then- get your grill up to medium heat, 350-400 degrees. Place the wet plank on the pre-heated grill and heat plank for another 5 minutes before adding the food. This allows the plank to begin to smolder and smoke.

Next- place your seasoned salmon on plank and close grill lid and let cook for recommended time. The average fillet takes between 14-18 minutes, depending on thickness. No flipping, turning, or tweaking is needed. Once cooked, remove from the grill and enjoy!
So, for my salad, I used mixed baby greens, but just use whatever you have fresh in the fridge or from the garden, toss with a little olive oil, salt and fresh cracked pepper and top with hot salmon, blueberry balsamic reduction and freshly slice peaches!

Blueberry Balsamic Reduction

1 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 cup Fresh Blueberries, plus extra for fresh garnish

- Macerate berries until juicy and then add vinegar. Let the berry juice and pulp meld with vinegar for up to an hour.

- Pour blueberry and vinegar mixture through cheesecloth or very fine strainer to remove pulp and seeds. Bring strained blueberry vinegar to a simmer, whisking constantly.

- Reduce vinegar down until desired viscosity- I like it pretty syrupy. Mix in fresh blueberries and top salmon with your hot Blueberry Balsamic Reduction!

Welcome to your weekend! -KB

The Blueberries are Always Bluer in the Next Row

It's August and blueberry season is in full swing here in the Northwest. And speaking of full swing, we hit up the rope swing along the Pend Oreille River on the way out to the Riley Creek Blueberry Farm for some evening U-Pick.
When picking blueberries, I spend a while scoping for the best row- the row that looks like there is the best size, color, and volume of berries. I find my row and start picking, but then, I peak to the next row and heck if I didn't choose wrong! The next row's berries are WAY better... bigger and bluer (Bluer? Not a word? Oh well). This leads to a terribly ineffective, perpetually row-shift method of blueberry harvesting. I can't help it! They just look bluer in the next row.Eventually my bucket is full, my mouth is an incriminating shade of purple, and it's time to weigh out. Huckleberries are all well and good, but it's sure hard to walk away with gallons to spare and a full belly. So, here's encouraging you to turn off that BlackBerry for a couple hours and pick some blueberries.

Welcome to your weekend! -KB

Local Winery Gets Their Grill On

Planking, good friends, and great wine- what could be better? Our hometown vintners at the Pend d'Oreille Winery planked up a storm at the winery's summer bash and were kind enough to share their photos.

For more info about the delightful, local wines of Sandpoint, visit www.powine.com.

Cheers and plank on!


Welcome to your weekend! -KB

Feeling Festive Part II

"The big white tent" shook, rattled and rolled for a booty-shaking good time on Friday the 13th. Michael Franti and Spearhead rocked a sold-out show on a clear night perfect for taking in some tunes and the Perseids Meteor Shower simultaneously.
The following night, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band delighted the crowd with old favorite such as Fishin' in the Dark, Mr. Bojangles, and Will the Circle Be Unbroken, along with some fun, yet funky covers.

Tonight, the symphony will play and the finale fireworks mark the end of another fabulous Festival at Sandpoint. What a good time, what a great line up! I can't wait for the big white tent to go up again.
Welcome to your weekend! -KB

Feeling Festive

Early August in North Idaho- the water is finally a tolerable temperature to swim and the huckleberries are at their peak. This time also means tipsy tourist and Sandpoint scenesters alike turn out for the big summer event- The Festival at Sandpoint.

Each year, a local artist designs a fine art poster for the event. This year's artist was Carver Kearney.
Tunes, chow, and waterfront views kicked off at Memorial Flied Thursday Aug. 5th and continued on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Everyone gets a breather for Monday through Wednesday, only to crank back up for a raucous second week.
This year, the line-up is...

Week One

Thursday- Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (Ever popular local band Tennis opened)
Friday- Brandi Carlile
Saturday- Keb' Mo'
Sunday- Children's Concert: Peter and the Wolf

Week Two

Thursday- Natalie MacMaster
Friday- Michael Franti and Spearhead
Saturday- Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Sunday- Grand Finale Concert: Russian Masterpieces

I've already hit up Keb' Mo' and I have tickets for Franti and the NGDB! I can barely wait.
Welcome to your weekend. - KB