Orcas Island Archives : TRAVEL/FOOD

Explore What’s New and Cool Now in the San Juan Islands

Where else can you celebrate the birth–the first in more than a decade–of a new Orca calf, dine at a Roman restaurant, journey to islands accessible only by ferry, attend a re-enactment of the Pig War Crisis, try the latest IPA from the only brewery in the San Juan Islands, taste the newest sparkling wine in a limited release from an island winery, and listen to a podcast by the creator of San Juan Sea Salt? I can’t think of any place by the enchanting San Juan Islands,

The romantic sounds of the ferries beckon as make their way across the waters, carrying passengers from the mainland to Lopez, San Juan, and Orcas, three of the archipelago of 172 named islands and reefs in San Juan County. Located off the coast of Washington State, four ferry service the most populous Islands: San Juan Island home to Friday Harbor, the county seat Friday Harbor, Orcas Island, Lopez Island and Shaw Island. These three offer the majority of lodging and dining options and tourism activities.

A New K…K…Killer Whale

For the first time in more than a decade, there’s a new calf in the endangered orca group known as K Pod. Recently the Center for Whale Research (CWR) field biologist Mark Malleson and his colleagues confirmed that K20 ‘Spock’ was traveling with a new calf, after previously receiving video and photographs of a possible new calf earlier this year (April and June). These captured images of K20 with her new baby traveling in a tight group with other family members. K45 is the first calf born into K Pod since 2011 when K27 ‘Deadhead’ gave birth to K44 ‘Ripple’ (male). The mother, K20 (born 1986), is part of the K13 matriline and has two siblings, K27 ‘Deadhead’ (female, born 1994) and K34 ‘Cali’ (male, born 2001). Spock is also the mother to K38 ‘Comet’ (male, born in 2004).

On the Food and Restaurant Front

Aloha to the Orcas Hotel

Owner and Chef John Cox, with wife Julia Felder, have opened a new restaurant at the landmark Orcas Hotel. Norbu’s joins the classic Orcas Café with a Hawaiian-inspired menu featuring fresh, tropical flavors using the best ingredients, including tuna direct from the Honolulu Fish Auction and a wide selection of rare rums and spirits. Norbu’s is open for dinner service on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, as well as for a special Jazz Supper Club on Monday evening. For more information, contact John Cox orcascafe@gmail.com or visit www.orcashotel.com/eat-and-drink

Roman Orcas

Roses Bakery Cafe, in the old fire station building on Prune Alley, was a longtime Orcas Island landmark. It was sold in late 2021, and has been reimagined as Monti, a Roman-inspired restaurant, market, and wine shop. Monti, which is named for a neighborhood in Rome, uses both handmade and dry pasta and offers authentic antipasti, pasta dishes, pizza and more as well as desserts made in house by Brea Currey of Seabird Bakery. The menu features a few changes each week and is influenced by owner Erin Gainey’s deep attachment to Rome, where she lived for periods of time in her youth. Monti is open Friday through Tuesday from 5 to 10 p.m. Reservations can be made at www.montimontimonti.com.

New Chef for New Leaf

Chef Andrew Martin and his wife, executive pastry chef Amy Nack, have been visiting Orcas Island for fifteen years. While their son attended Camp Orkila every summer, Andrew and Amy explored the island, falling more in love with it every year. When the executive chef position opened up at New Leaf Café, despite the uncertainty of COVID, Chef Andrew leapt at the chance. At New Leaf, he’s putting a regional spin on his specialty of Northern Italian cuisine, balancing flavors and textures, and incorporating local ingredients for a delicious brunch menu. One new item is a much talked about Bacon, Lettuce and Avocado sandwich on hearth bread, served with a smoked tomato jam instead of sliced tomato which gives it a sweet savory bite. For more information, contact Ayn Gailey ayngailey@gmail.com or visit www.outlookinn.com/newleaf

Events & Exhibits

A Porcine Sesquicentennial

2022 marks the 150^th anniversary of what is known as the “Pig War” crisis – a little-known international dispute that shaped Washington State and our country. To celebrate this anniversary, park rangers are bringing back Encampment in August – a weeklong series of reenactments, demonstrations, and other fun activities with more than 50 costumed historical interpreters who will give visitors an opportunity to travel back to the 1800s. Demonstrations that will bring history to life include loom work, metalworking, fur trade, and what life was like for members of the military and their families. In the fall, the park will hold a formal commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the San Juan Boundary Dispute Resolution. For event updates, contact Cyrus Forman cyrus_forman@nps.gov or visit www.nps.gov/sajh/index.htm

Bison Antiquus

Bison grazed in the meadows of Orcas Island 16,000 years ago. Human beings harvested, butchered and ate bison meat in a meadow near Olga 14,000 years ago. Some of the most complete skeletal remains of prehistoric bison ever discovered were unearthed in 2003 in an excavation in Olga. Archeological staff identified a large male bison, with the head almost completely intact, a smaller male, and one other. A new installation featuring the bison presence and the significance of these particular bones will become part of the museum’s permanent exhibit. “This discover helps validate Indigenous tales of antiquity,” says Antoinette Botsford, exhibit chair. For more information, contact Nancy Stillger director@orcasmuseums.org or visit www.orcasmuseums.org/home.html

New Products, Services, & Shops

New Layer at San Juan Brewing Company

Kulshan and San Juan Island Brewing Companies have teamed up to bring beer lovers Marine Layer Cold IPA; a crisp and clean beer with fruit forward hop aromas, a touch of soft pine, and a maritime finish. Right in time to help San Juan Island Brewing celebrate their fifth anniversary, it’s the perfect refreshment when that cold fog bubble bursts and the glorious summer sun returns to the Salish Sea.

The Marine Layer joins a lineup of award-winning beers like the Bull Kelp ESB, Black Boar Porter, and Quarry No. 9 Pale Ale. For more information, contact Sean Aylward sean@sanjuanbrew.com

Sparkling Sea Rows

The future of the San Juan archipelago is bright and sparkling. Sparkling wine, that is. An extremely limited release, local fruit was hand-harvested and fermented with little intervention to express the terroir of the islands in Archipelago’s 2021 Sea Rows Blanc de Noir. Stunningly aromatic, Sea Rows is the latest in a lineup of pet-nats that push the boundaries in this, the fringe of all winemaking regions.

Thirty-six cases were produced and are due to be released July 31. Archipelago specializes in sparkling wines made in the petillant-naturel style, with minimal intervention. For more information: Marti McConnell archipelago.beverage@gmail.com

For more information: www.whaleresearch.com/2022-37

A Recipe from the San Juan Islands Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma

Grilled Halibut with Maple Rock Farm Greens and a Verjus, White Truffle Vinaigrette

Serves 4

4 each, 6 oz. halibut fillets

8 oz. Maple Rock Farm salad greens

Verjus vinaigrette (recipe follows below)

2 Tbs. melted butter
2 Tbs. toasted pine nuts
1 Tbs. chopped parsley
4 cups prepared whipped potatoes or wild rice

Season the halibut with salt and pepper.

Over medium high heat, grill four to five minutes per side (or until your preferred doneness) and set aside.

Gently toss the salad greens in enough vinaigrette to coat the greens liberally.

Plate 1 cup of whipped potatoes or rice in the center of your dinner plate.

Place the dressed greens on the potatoes or rice.

Place the grilled halibut on the salad greens and brush with melted butter.

Garnish the plate with a circle of vinaigrette around the potatoes or rice.

Garnish the halibut with pine nuts and chopped parsley.

Verjus, White Truffle Vinaigrette

2 shallots
2 cloves garlic
½ cup local Mt. Baker Vineyards Verjus
2 Tbs. white wine vinegar
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 cup canola oil
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white truffle oil
4 Tbs. chopped parsley

Place all ingredients above into a blender and process until smooth.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Back to the Islands: The 14th Annual Savor the San Juans

Farm-to-Table, Farm-to-Table Restaurant, Farming, Food, Organic, Recipes, Regional & Ethnic, Road Trips, Seasonal Recipes, Travel, Wine

For those who have never been, the San Juans, an archipelago of islands off the coast of Washington State and easily accessible by ferry, are a magical combo of natural beauty, nature’s bounty found in farms, orchards, wineries, a cultural dedication to sustainability, land stewardship, and small food producers as well as delightfully charming small towns and villages set against the backdrop of Puget Sound.

Now, after a year of pandemic and social distancing, it’s time to celebrate to return to the island and experience in real time the food and farm culture of Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan islands, the largest of archipelago’s 170 islands.

And what better time to do so than during the 14th Annual Savor the San Juans? It’s a fine time to taste and tour with so many special events going on such as harvest dinners, film festivals, farm tours, wine tastings, demonstrations, and more. And of course, there’s plenty to explore on your own as well.

Upcoming tours and events

October 14-17 Friday Harbor Film Festival

October 16-17: Lopez Island Farm Tour

October 16: San Juan Island Farmers Market

October 29: Alchemy Art Center: October Sip ‘N’ Sculpt with Maria Michaelson!

November 12-14: Hops on the Rock Orcas Island Beer Fest

Information on Local Flavor Specials can be found here.

Getting there, visit here.

Where to stay And what to do.

Can’t make it this year, then bring a little of the island into your kitchen with the following recipe.

Cook Like a Coho Restaurant Chef: Roasted Garlic, Pear, and Goat Cheese Flatbread

Ingredients for Flatbread Dough

1 tsp active dry or instant yeast
1 tsp granulated sugar
3/4 c warm water
2 c (250g) all-purpose flour or bread flour
1 Tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tsp for brushing the dough
1 tsp salt

How to Make Flatbread Dough

Mix the ingredients together by hand or use the dough hook of a stand mixer.

If making by hand, place dry ingredients in a large bowl, make a well in the middle, and add wet ingredients. Incorporate the wet with the dry and knead for ten minutes. If using an electric mixer, place all ingredients in the bowl and beat for five minutes, until all the ingredients come together into a smooth ball.

Place dough in a greased mixing bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 45 minutes.

Punch down the dough and separate in half. Form each half of the dough into rounds.
Sprinkle the countertop with flour.

Take your rounds and roll them out to a football shape and length. Press your fingers lightly into the dough and dimple. This helps prevent any large air bubbles. Brush with olive oil to keep the crust crisp.

For best results, especially if this is your first time making flatbread, bake the flatbread before topping it. Transfer dough to a baking sheet. There is no need for parchment paper with this dough.

Bake at 450°F for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Top with goat cheese, garlic, and pear. Bake for another 5 minutes.

Top with arugula and balsamic reduction.

Balsamic Reduction

1 cup balsamic vinegar

How to Reduce Vinegar

Pour balsamic vinegar in a shallow pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Let reduce until your balsamic is a thick consistency and coats the back of your spoon.

Roasted Garlic

4 cloves of garlic

How to Roast Garlic

Peel four cloves of garlic and place in oil until submerged, cover with aluminum foil and roast at 450°F for fifteen minutes or until golden brown. You will be able to smell the garlic when it’s ready.

Whipped Goat Cheese

1/3 cup goat cheese
2 tsp water

How to Whip Goat Cheese

Place goat cheese and water in a blender or food processor. Blend for two minutes until it is smooth and easy to spread.

SAVOR THE SAN JUANS: A TASTE OF THE PACIFIC

Artisan beer, Regional & Ethnic, Seasonal Recipes

An archipelago of islands off the coast of Washington State, there are 172 named islands and reefs in San Juan County but the main three–all with ferry service–are San Juan Island (with the county seat Friday Harbor), Orcas Island, and Lopez Island. Not only are they the most populous but each offers a myriad of lodging, dining, and activities for visitors.

The 13 defining tastes of the San Juan Islands are salmon, heritage fruit, foraged botanicals, shellfish (think oysters and clams), crab, lamb, Mangalitsa Pork, seaweed and salt, lavender and hops, cider and apple brandy, grains, goat cheese and white wines.

Here’s a sampling of what visitors can find:

Spiced apple with chocolate and pumpkin cream-filled doughnuts. Cardamom buns. Buckwheat tahini chocolate cookies. Savory brioche tarts with leek, chevre, and kabocha squash. All of the ingredients for these mouth-watering pastries? Entirely sourced locally by creator and owner of new Seabird Bakeshop, Brea Currey, from Orcas Island farm stands like West Beach and Maple Rock, eggs from neighborhood chickens, and flour from Fairhaven Mills in Burlington. Since September, Seabird Bakeshop has been thriving on Orcas Island where chefs are thinking creatively about how to bridge food and entrepreneurism during the time of coronavirus. Thus far, Currey’s success is, among other things, a testament to the power of baking as a 2020 survival strategy on Washington’s farm-to-table captivated island. Find Seabird on Facebook and Instagram: @seabirdbakeshop

Myers Creamery on Orcas Island, Quail Croft on San Juan Island, and Sunnyfield Farm on Lopez Island all are expect at making fresh chevre, herbed cheeses, washed-rind and aged cheeses, all of which can be found at each island’s farmers’ markets, and at the Orcas Island Food Co-op and the San Juan Island Food Co-op. Following the seasons, goat cheeses start out fresh and creamy in springtime when the goats graze on spring grass. As the grass matures, so does the flavor of the cheese, until at the end of fall, the cheeses are more intense, earthy and, dare we say, “goaty.”

Cold pressed cider. Small batch granola. A box full of farm-fresh greens. Locavores, look no further: the newly aggregated Washington Food and Farm Finder features 1,700 farms, farmers markets, and food vendors with offerings “grown, caught, raised, or made” across the state. Find San Juan Islands favorites like Ursa Minor, Madrone Cellars, and Buck Bay Shellfish Farm. The guide has filters for pickup or delivery services, markets, food trucks, or specialty food and beverage locales. Icons designate sustainable fishing or animal welfare certifications, as well as veteran-, woman-, and BIPOC-owned businesses. For more information: https://eatlocalfirst.org/wa-food-farm-finder/

Island makers Girl Meets Dirt and Madrone Cellars & Ciders are winners in the annual Good Food Awards for 2021. Madrone’s Barrel-Aged Currant took top prize in the Cider category. Girl Meets Dirt has winners in both the Preserves and Elixirs category. Their Rhubarb Lavender Spoon Preserves are a great choice for charcuterie. The Rhubarb shrub and Shiro Plum Tree bitters give some extra oomph to your signature cocktails. Shop Girl Meets Dirt winners here: www.girlmeetsdirt.com/shop and Madrone Cellars here: https://madronecellars.com/

Local favorite San Juan Sea Salt is rolling out a new line of flavored salts: the Deli Series, starting with Everything but the Bagel. All the yum of everything bagels, none of the carbs! Try this on avocado toast, mixed with your breading for fried chicken, and snacking on it straight from the jar! Everything but the Bagel joins the Dill Pickle Salt as an homage to class deli flavors. The Dill Pickle Salt is a tangy, dilly, zesty, garlicky salt with just the right magic to give your mouth the déjá vu feeling of crunching into a darn fine pickle. Find these and others here: www.sanjuanislandseasalt.com/online-store/NEW-c48889151

Buck Bay Shellfish Farm on Orcas Island is a hidden gem where you can stop in for a couple of pounds of fresh clams or oysters, or you can while away a whole afternoon shucking oysters and drinking wine (BYOB) while looking out over the serenity of Buck Bay just yards away.

New owners Eric and Andrea Anderson rebuilt the docks and oyster shack at Westcott Bay Shellfish Farm on the north end of San Juan Island. They’ve also linked the property to trails connecting to English Camp, making their shellfish farm a destination for hikers and bicyclists as well.

Island wineries produce light, refreshing whites that pair well with seafood and other San Juan specialties. Owners Yvonne Swanberg of San Juan Vineyards, and Brent Charnley of Lopez Island Vineyards grow and makes Siegerrebe and Madeleine Angevine from their estate vineyards.

Westcott Bay Cider, one of the oldest cideries in the state of Washington, ferments three types of ciders from the “bitters” and “sharps” from their orchard, from traditional dry to medium-sweet styles. The cider is then distilled into a clear eau-de-vie and aged in wine barrels.

Orcas Island Cider and Mead Festival has drawn two dozen cider and mead producers from throughout the region.

Local farmer Brady Ryan started San Juan Island Sea Salt, made by collecting salt water from the Salish Sea and drying it in special bins to retain the fluffy white crystals that are then flavored with such botanicals as smoked madrona bark, dried kelp, lemon peel and various dried herbs.

In any list of definitive island flavors, lavender deserves its own category, partly because it is a cultivated botanical rather than a forged one. But it’d also an important part of island culture.

Pelindaba Lavender Farm has been growing lavender and creating lavender products for almost 20 years. At the farm, you can stroll the lavender fields, learn about how lavender oil is extracted and distilled into almost 250 products made onsite, including many food products such as lavender teas, salad dressings, ice cream and herbal rubs.

Island grown hops are used in the beers made by Orcas Island’s Island Hoppin’ Brewery, adding floral and bitter notes and a local touch to these tasty beers. You can visit the brewery and tasting room just outside of Eastsound.

Chef Geddes Martin, owner of the Inn at Ship Bay, raises his own Mangalitsa hogs in partnership with his friend and farmer, John Steward of Maple Rock Farm and Hogstone’s Wood Oven. Mangalitsa is a breed that’s known as the “hairy pig that is the Kobe beef of pork,” with more flavor and marbled fat than standard industrial-raised pork, and makes for amazing pork belly or pork loin.