Cathy Burnham Martin's Blog, page 48

National Steak Day

Ahhhh…. When steak is done right and “your way,” little can be more satisfying. Some like it fancy with sauces; some prefer it black and blue and straight-up.

Though not a great beef fan, I do love biting into a perfectly cooked rib-eye, from steer that were raised open-range, grass-fed, and never given any hormones nor antibiotics. Make it real and keep protein healthy.

I like to season all sides with kosher salt, freshly cracked pepper, and some garlic powder; then I let it sit in the refrigerator (uncovered) for up to 24 hours. Dry brining this way helps “seal” the exterior a bit, delivering perfectly crisped outer edges when cooking and helping the meat maintain moisture as it cooks.

 

To serve, I do sprinkle on a bit of flaky, finishing salt and, perhaps, some herbs or herbed butter. (For non-beef eaters, dig into a portobello mushroom cap or two. They grill beautifully and can be seasoned precisely to your taste. For a little extra pizazz, top it with some sliced shiitake mushrooms, sautéed with some chopped onions and a favorite herb, such as thyme.)

Light Encouragement

 

 

“We cannot hold a torch to light another’s path without brightening our own.”

— Ben Sweetland (1900 – 1987)
Author and psychologist

National Baked Scallops Day

I do love the sweet, tenderness of scallops. Prepare them any way you like… on the half shell, baked-stuffed, wrapped in bacon or pesto encrusted. Here’s a recipe I first created in 1980, I’ve only done the very slightest update since… like suggesting pinot grigio and shifting to sweet onions.

 

Cathy’s Sesame Scallop Kebabs 
The key to cooking scallops is to avoid the tendency to overcook them. Scallops stay luscious and tender, unless overdone. This also cooks nicely on the grill.

1 lb fresh sea scallops (dry pack, no water added), rinsed & drained
½ c white wine (pinot grigio or chardonnay)
4 T sesame seeds (toasted, if you like)
¼ c grated sweet onion
½ tsp each: garlic powder & salt
1/8 tsp each: ground nutmeg and pepper (or lemon pepper)
Put scallops in zip-top plastic bag. Combine all other ingredients and pour over the scallops. Seal the bag and refrigerate 10-15 minutes, turning the bag once. Drain, reserving the marinade. Divide scallops among 6 skewers (warm water-soaked, if bamboo or wooden). Place in foil-lined 15×10” baking pan with sides; pour reserved marinade over skewers. Bake at 425°F for 10 min or till tender, turning once. Serve hot, garnished with fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley and lemon wedges, if desired. Makes 2-3 generous servings.

Spring Ahead!

I love Spring! And in the mountains of North Carolina we enjoy 3 gorgeous months of Spring.

 

 

Of course, Mom Martin’s double camellia is in bloom, as are the daffodils.

 

 

 

 

 

Our weeping cherry tree is starting to blossom…

 

 

 

 

 

 

… as are the plum trees.

 

 

 

 

 

And we are now watching the iris spring to life. Ahhhhh… just breathe!

Go for Greatness!

Image by Iván Tamás

 

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”

— Albert Einstein  (1879 – 1955)
German-born theoretical physicist; developed theory of relativity

(Image by Iván Tamás)

Goodness Gracious!

 

 

“Confidence in the goodness of another is good proof of one’s own goodness.”

— Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
French Renaissance philosopher

The 33rd State

Joining the nation in 1859, Oregon became the 33rd state in the U.S. Since the discovery of a small, prehistoric stone knife in 2012, some archaeologists believe people have lived in the region for at least 15,000 years. Home to 10 Native American tribes, Europeans began arriving in the 1500s, when both Spain and Great Britain claimed it for themselves.

In 1804, President Thomas Jefferson sent American explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to map out a huge swath of land bought the year before in the Louisiana Purchase… and the land beyond, which included the region that is now Oregon.

 

American settlers started arriving by wagon trains in the 1840s. All European claims were soon quashed by the large number of Americans settling there.

 

Bordered by Washington, Idaho, Nevada, California, and the Pacific Ocean, the 9th largest state in the U.S. is slightly larger than the United Kingdom. The origins of the name Oregon remain disputed. Some claim it comes from the French word “ouragan” meaning “hurricane,” a term used by French explorers to describe an especially windy part of the region… but others say it’s derived from the Chinook word “oolighan,” a type of fish eaten by the Native Americans.

A coin toss in 1854 determined the name of Portland. Had the coin landed on the other side, the city was to be called Boston. With no sales tax, Oregon’s population nears 4.3 million, but the Beaver State is particularly known for its grandeur.

 

 

At 1943 feet, the famed Crater Lake is the nation’s deepest lake. Oregon is home to more than 6,000 lakes, plus 112,000 miles of rivers and streams, 16 known hot springs, 230 state parks, and 13 national forests. Nearly half of the area, nearly 30 million acres, is forested,

 

At 7,913 feet deep, Hells Canyon is the deepest river gorge in North America and averages 5,500 feet deep.

 

 

 

The state’s highest point is Mount Hood at 11,245’.

 

 

 

Oregon has 14 National Historic Districts, 4 National Historic Trails (including the “Go West, Young Man” Oregan Trail), and more than 7,000 bridges.

 

 

 

Oregon’s Klamath Basin has the largest concentration of wintering bald eagles, and the Western Meadowlark is its official state bird.

 

 

 

 

 

The “Tater Tot” was invented here by brothers Nephi and Golden Grigg, founders of Ore-Ida.

 

 

 

 

 

Oregon is also home to the corn dog.

 

 

 

This Pacific Northwest state grows 99% of the entire U.S. commercial crop of hazelnuts. The state is also home to over 750 vineyards, growing 72 varietals of wine grapes.

Speechless

“Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can’t, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it.”

— Robert Frost (1874 – 1963)
American poet

To Be Continued…

 

“A baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on.”

— Carl Sandburg (1878 – 1967)
American poet, biographer, journalist, & Pulitzer prize winner

Ahhhh, Optimism

“An optimist may see a light where there is none, but why must the pessimist always run to blow it out?”

— Michel de Saint Pierre (1916 – 1987)
French journalist