Coasting & Cooking

We have a special place in our hearts for the Oregon coast. We grew up two hours away from the beach and it was always a vacation destination for both of our families when we were growing up. We went to the Oregon coast for our honeymoon over 37 years ago and when our kids were growing up it continued to be a favorite destination for our family. When we moved away from Portland 15 years ago and moved to Walla Walla, Washington, one of the hardest parts of being there was it took eight hours to get to the Oregon coast! For the first time in our lives we felt land-locked!

We moved on after two years and found ourselves living in Marina del Rey, California. That was a total surprise and amazing to live three blocks from the ocean when you consider the size of Los Angeles county and all the places we could have ended up. Most evenings and weekends we ended up at the beach. We loved walking out on the breakwater as far as we could go and back, we enjoyed many beautiful sunsets, the pelicans, the dolphins, the hammerhead sharks, the sailboats. We loved it and took advantage of every moment and enjoyed it to the fullest. We now live about 10 minutes away from the beach and enjoy spending time there.

The Oregon coast is completely different from the California coast. The Oregon surf is wild and turbulent. When we visited there, we always loved to watch the waves crashing through large picture windows, from our room, high on a bluff! This week I am featuring three cookbooks "Coasting and Cooking" by Barbara Williams. I bought these books at Allegory Books and Music back when it was The Marketplace at Salishan. They are filled with recipes from notable restaurants along the Oregon and Washington coast. I did most of my cooking from them in the nineties as well. I do not know if these dishes are still being served at any of these restaurants.

There are three versions of "Coasting and Cooking," so I am posting a picture of the cookbook that contained the following recipes. The picture on the front is different on each book as well as the recipes inside. They were all published in the 1990's. It has been a long time since I have made most of these recipes, but they are tried and true and are worth sharing.

This first recipe comes from The Polynesian Resort in Ocean Shores, Washington. This Green Pea Salad is really easy to make and is a great recipe to make ahead for a picnic. I use real bacon crumbles rather than bacon bits.

This recipe is from the Sound Food Restaurant in Vashon Island, Washington, which has had a rebirth with in the last few years according to this article. This recipe is for Sour Cream Lime Pie. It is very good but also very rich.

This recipe is from Granny's Pantry in Silverdale, Washington. I couldn't find any evidence of it being in business now. The recipe I'm posting is for Carrot and Zucchini Muffins which are very moist and full of flavor.

The next two recipes are from Dooger's Seafood and Grill  in Cannon Beach, Oregon. This has been a favorite spot in our family for many years. My parents recently took a trip to Cannon Beach and enjoyed their favorite clam chowder. It's hard to resist their warm Marionberry Cobbler Ala Mode for dessert. If you are ever near Cannon Beach, Oregon, you should drop by for some chowder. I have made their chowder recipe with fresh clams and canned clams. We prefer the fresh clams.

Marionberries, fresh or frozen, are hard to find, especially in Southern California. If you can't find them in your area, blackberries will work just fine.

This recipe is from  The Tillamook Cheese Factory in Tillamook Oregon. They are a huge tourist destination for their cheese samples and Tillamook ice cream cones. This dish makes a nice lunch or dinner with a crisp salad.

This recipe is from Salishan Lodge in Gleneden Beach, Oregon. These Apple Oatcakes are like apple oat pancakes but really good. You can keep this mixture in the refrigerator for two weeks so you can make them fresh when needed.

This recipe is from The Sea Hag in Depoe Bay, Oregon. They are famous for their clam chowder and their Friday night Seafood Buffet. This recipe for Halibut Parmesan takes a few minutes to make and the fish stays very moist. If you don't have an electric skillet you can also use a large skillet.

This final recipe is from La Serre Restaurant in Yachats, Oregon. The first time we ate dinner here, we had these Clam Puffs and they were so good. If I like something that I have eaten at a restaurant I ask the waiter if the chef shares the recipe. It never hurts to ask because I have been given many recipes through the years because I sent compliments to the chef and because I asked! In this case, I was told it could be found in this cookbook, so that is when I began my search. I was really happy when I found this cookbook with this recipe. I have made these for years as appetizers for Christmas, New Years and other occasions. They are made ahead, frozen and baked when needed.

Enjoy!