Plank Feast- The Cascadia Edition

Note about the guest blogger- Peter White-Hoppe

Peter is a true citizen of the Pacific Northwest. And by that, I mean he can be found at any given time shredding snowy slopes, paddling whitewater, hiking, hunting, fishing or grilling ... in other words, the guy has a lot of gear.  Pete and his team put together a feast of Cascadian proportions that couldn't be beat. Thanks for the mouth-watering descriptions, drool-worthy photography and all around great guest blog P W-H!   

Collecting the ingredients...

There is no finer time to enjoy summers bounty of fresh fruits, berries and the annual migration of the iconic steelhead up the Columbia River to high mountain tributaries where it returns to spawn. We in the Pacific North West are so fortunate to have been blessed with an opportunity to lead lives in a Pacific Wonderland.

Our act begins with a trip high up to the sub-alpine forests of Cascadia, where huckleberries replace thimbleberries as autumn begins its early descent upon our landscapes and lives. Summer is not gone, but, you feel the suns rays in ways that indicate the transition, the air is dry the nights are crisp and we watch the subtle changes leaf by leaf as they slowly drop from the tree. High up the huckleberries are ripe and thick. Huckleberry pickers know that it is an activity not for the impatient. It is tedious, slow, and even painful at times but the reward keeps us going. Berry by berry the yogurt container fills up. An hour or was it two? Who cares it’s full and it’s time for a hike past waterfalls and wildflowers.

When the huckleberries are ripe you know the blueberries are too. So down the east fork we journey past forests and foothills to the U-pick blueberry patch. Here we are met with berries the size of cherry tomatoes that bend branches toward the ground. In the same amount of time thirty pounds of blueberries have filled our five gallon bucket. Continuing down the mountain highway we are met with orchards and farmland peaches are ripe and we willingly participate in their appearance on this afternoon and gladly exchange our green paper for the sweet flesh.

On down the road we go to the next farm, grape farmers have a way of keeping us coming back all year long. Today we will get to share a delicious white variety known as Tilly Jane.

Back in town we make a quick stop for a loaf of French bread, Bartlett pears and a round of Humboldt Creamery’s Cypress Grove Chevre, a blue cheese infused brie. Then it is to the dip netters for local fresh caught steelhead. As we cross the mighty Columbia we watch as the multi-color sails float and flurry below.

Back at home our planks have been soaking. Several hours of soak time is recommended and I have found that 24+ hour soaks saturate the plank fully guaranteeing the most even cooking temperatures. For our planked items we have selected...

-Outdoor Gourmet Maple Fromagier Line for the Chevre
-A large 7x15"Cedar Grilling Plank one for the Steelhead (classic pairing!)
-A large Cherry Grilling Plank for the Peaches

 

The barbecue has been prepped, charcoal briquettes are my preference as I believe that create a very even heat and help to enhance flavors. Plus you get to drink more beer while you wait. To reach desired temperatures (degrees I don’t know), I favor an electric starter. Start by placing a mound of briquettes on top of the starter and let heat for 10 minutes. Remove the starter, while doing your best to leave the mound of briquettes, open the bottom vent and place the grill over the mound to heat it and wait another 10 minutes (that’s 2 beers). Now it is time to start planking.

 

While carefully monitoring the grill Julia, my sister, and Steph, my lovely girlfriend, have been preparing the first dish, the Humboldt Fog Chevre. It has been topped with our just-picked huckleberries, walnuts and honey. This item probably took about 20 or 25 minutes and remained covered to limit air circulation/flare-up to ensure an even heating and to trap as much of the flavor from the Maple plank as possible. When heated to your desired tempreture and consitency it pairs excellently with with French bread and Bartlett Pears. The blue cheese really adds nice flavor especially because the more subtle brie absorbs so much of the maple flavor.

 

 

 The next item is a classic plank item when it comes to plank cooking, steelhead! One of the great things about plank cooking is that it keeps meats incredibly moist, which is especially important when cooking fish. The half filet of Cedar planked steelhead goes on the grill with nothing more than a light brushing of olive oil and fresh ground pepper. Although we have selected a filet, steaks or even a whole fish work well with the plank method. The fish takes about 20-25 minutes, and similair to the Chevre it is best to leave your grill covered as it will help to retain the most flavor and prevent the briquettes from getting to hot and risking a burnt plank. When cooked to the desired temperature remove the Cedar plank and fish from the grill. We have prepared a blueberry vinagrette reduction made from simmering a couple of cups of blueberries, about a half cup of balsamic vinager, a tablespoon of honey, juice from one lemon and a splash of vanilla to drizzle on top of the cooked steelhead.

   

 

Before we sit down to our lovely dinner sliced peaches with with cinnamon sprinkled on top are placed on a Cherry wood plank and placed on the grill while we enjoy our meal. The peaches can stay on for quite a while as it is difficult to burn the the fruit with all of it juice. They certainly may be left on for upwards of fortyfive minutes, especially since the coals have cooled siince we began.
Dinner consists of our Cedar planked steelhead with the blueberry vinagrette reduction, and a blueberry spinach salad topped with sliced almonds and a sweet poppyseed vinagrette dressing, all chased down with a couple bottles of wine. Delicious!

 

Dessert is ready with the sugars from the peachs juice carmelizing and flavors heightend from the flavors of the cherry plank. Served over vanilla ice cream and topped with some of the left over blueberry vinagrette reduction.

A great meal with great friends is one that is seldom forgotten and there is nothing that beats Outdoor Gourmet planks for making memorable meals, cheers and happy planking! Welcome to your weekend.