Recommendations

September 29

Fruits and Vegetables:
It's Apple and Pear Season in Hood River

Honeycrisp Apples from Hood River are in markets.  Honeycrisps are harvested between
mid-September and mid-October.  They store well when refrigerated but like all apples
start losing their tartness immediately when picked. Kiyokawa Family Orchards  ( 819 Clear Creek Road, Parkdale, 541.352.7115 ) hold a Honeycrisp Harvest, Oct. 6,7.

Our favorite Hood River apple, Swiss Gourmet, can be hard to find but is worth the effort. They will be available soon - end of September, early October. New Season's informs us that they may carry them.  They are available directly from Mt. Hood Organic Farms -  (541) 352-7492 or (541) 352-7123 • 7130 Smullin Road, Mt. Hood, OR. The orchard sits almost on the shoulder of Mt. Hood and features amazing views as well as amazing apples.  The trip out the gorge and up the Hood River Valley in the fall is wonderful.

"Real" Apple Cider, anymore, can be almost impossible find.   Law and litigiousness result in cider that is pasteurized after being pressed.  If you make the trip out to Parkdale, stop at Draper's Farm stand - 6200 Hwy. 35, Parkdale.  Their homemade, non-pasteurized apple cider made with heirloom apples is the only "real" apple cider we are aware of.  The label includes the warning "This product has not been pasteurized and therefore may contain harmful bacteria ... "  Draper Farm holds a Cider Day Celebration on Oct. 27, 28.

Cheese

Gorwydd Caerphilly from Neal's Yard  is a raw cow's milk semi soft cheese made by Todd, Maugan & Kim Trethowan at  Gorwydd Farm in Wales and available at Steve's Cheese (2321 NW Thurman St. Portland, OR 97210  503.222.6014 ) and  Whole Foods.  The cheese is simple and very direct revealing a pure, clean flavor of the cow's milk.

The Wedge Cheese Recommendations: ( There will be many, many cheeses at the Wedge; following are some that we have recently tasted and enjoyed.)

Brindisi Fontina - Willamette Valley Cheese Company's Italian-style Brindisi Fontina is a fairly hard, golden colored cheese. The shelf aged hard rind and almost brittle texture is highlighted by occasional crystalline morsels sprinkled throughout.  The cheese I bought from Pastaworks was aged for almost a year and had a rich, sharp flavor, unlike a softer, more traditional Fontina. Willamette Valley Cheese Brindisi Fontina is made from 100% Jersey milk and is a great table cheese and like its traditional cousin, and great to cook with. 

Redmondo - Juniper Grove Farm's aged, semi-hard goat cheese is lush, caramel, somewhat salty with a pronounced flavor. We have been told that the cheese's flavor changes significantly during the year.

Rogue River Blue - Rogue Creamery's award winning blue cheeses are all wonderful ( Crater Lake Blue, Rogue River Blue, Smokey Oregon Blue, Oregonzola ) Rogue River Gold -- is released but once a year. This blue cheese is amazing and probably worth the extravagant price.  It can be hard to find; after a little time in the market it is truly scarce.  Try to get it early. Rogue Creamery will be showing Rogue River Gold and their other cheeses at the Wedge and it will be in cheese shops soon.

Wine

September 24

2001 Panther Creek - Single Vineyard Noir is still available -  at Portland Wine Merchants, Great Wine Buys and Whole Foods.  $19.99/ bottle