Portland Foodie

Three Square Grill in Hillsdale is Amazing

Really, it takes a lot for me to get worked up about a restaurant...and I suppose it is because I am living in Foodie Nirvana...We Portlanders are lucky to have so many amazing restaurants to choose from in our little big city. I don't even bother writing about my so so experiences...the competition is tough...

I recently stopped in to the Three Square Grill in Hillsdale for a late dinner. Here's how they describe themselves:

Specializing in American regional cuisine, we have enjoyed cooking and serving great food for our friends in Portland's Hillsdale neighborhood since March of 1995. We bake our buns & special breads, cure and smoke our fish & meats, prepare our pickles & preserves, and bake all of our desserts right here, using only the freshest ingredients. We try to use as much organic and minimally processed products as possible, and we deal directly with many ranchers, farmers, brewers and wineries.

And, here's how I describe them: Tres Magnifique! I had the most unbelievable bacon cheeseburger I have had, next to the one's I make myself, of course...and while you might be pooh-poohing the cheeseburger as a yardstick for taste, think about how many the average person consumes in a lifetime...I know from cheeseburgers...

And here are a few of the other fantabulous offerings with prices to the right...

Gaining Ground Farm Roast Chicken Paprikash with French Beans + Crushed Potatoes.             16

Shrimp, Catfish, Andouille + Oyster Etoufée over Low Country Style Polenta and Collards.          16 

Penne Pasta Tossed with Gaining Ground Chicken, Pesto, Artichoke, Eggplant + Fresh Ricotta.   16

Highland Oak Farm Natural Beef Meatloaf with Wild Mushroom Gravy.                                     15

Our Famous Hand Slung Smoked Salmon Hash with a Poached Egg.                                         14

If you are in SW Portland, looking for a great nosh, check out the Three Square Grill...you will be glad you did...
 

Saucebox Drinks are Unparalleled

One of the first places I ate when I moved to Portland was Saucebox. Recently, I went there again and was reminded of how much I love this place. Though, maybe it is worth noting that I love it for the drinks and appetizers...not so nuts about the meals. I would actually recommend going there solely for the master mixology and creative small plates...

Feast your eyes on this delish Mai Tai

And how about the Strawberry Lemonade?

And believe me they were as good as they looked...

If you go early enough in the evening to get a table in the bar area, you can choose from a long list of $1, $2, $3, $4, and $5 appetizers...which are every bit as good, if not better than the entrees. A bit later DJ Mumu spins the tunes and picks up the pace...

So, grab some friends and head out to Saucebox...you will have a great time!

Blue Ribbon Banana Cake

Alright, this is a true story...I entered the Blue Ribbon Banana Cake in the Oklahoma State Fair and won a blue ribbon...as an adult...yes, an adult...don't shame because I entered the fair...

I think this is my favorite cake (next to chocolate, of course)...It started as my mom's recipe and evolved into mine.

3/4 c butter flavored shortening
11/2 c sugar
1 c buttermilk
1 c mashed bananas
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 c sifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 c chopped nuts
1 c flaked coconut

Cream together shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and beat on medium for two minutes. Add mashed bananas and beat two minutes. Sift together dry ingredients, add to creamed mixture along with buttermilk and vanilla. Beat two minutes. Stir in nuts. Turn into two greased and floured 9 inch layer pans. Sprinkle 1/2 cup coconut on each layer. Bake in 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Do not over-bake! Remove from pan, cool layers coconut side up on rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
1 box powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Cream together and spread evenly over layers

Hope you enjoy this cake as much as I do!

Recipes for Green Tomatoes and Hushpuppies

Since my post on Gardener to Farmer was essentially tomato-bashing, I thought I would try and post something more productive on Portland Foodie...As I know I am not the only Portlander wondering how to enjoy all of our non-ripening tomatoes...still, with the heat we have had of late, they may ripen yet. And, if you are not in a higher elevation, as I am, you may already have them. Be forewarned that if you do have them and you leave your contact information here, I will be asking for tomatoes...

Hopefully, you are all participating in the weekly food fest at Dinner Tonight and Away to Garden. It is a lot of fun and a great way to share your favorite gardening and foodie tips. Each week a new topic is selected, this week's topic is...you guessed it...tomatoes!

Frugal Upstate has an amazing web page that has tons of green tomato recipes on it...check it out...

Growing up in a state that was heavily influenced by the South (Oklahoma), I am partial to a good fried green tomato. They are tart and crisp and completely yummy! Here's how I make them...

Cornmeal
Vegetable Oil
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

That's all it takes...just dredge the tomato in cornmeal, then pop it in a skillet with vegetable oil...keep your burner on medium or a bit above, and DON'T put the tomatoes in until the oil is hot! When they are browned on both sides, take them out, put them on a paper towel lined plate and immediately sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Variations: I am always up for adding shredded Parmesan cheese...in this case, I would add before browning in the pan, because I love parm as a part of breading or coating. Adding Southwestern spices would be great, too. I like Cayenne, Cumin, Chili Powder, Garlic Powder...so yummy...

If you are in the mood for a casual night of seafood, why not try fish with fried green tomatoes and hush puppies?

I found this recipe on Cooks.com:

1/2 cup flour, sifted
1 1/2 cups white cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 egg, beaten

Combine all ingredients. Drop into hot oil, 1 teaspoon at a time, until golden brown.
Serve while hot with fish.

Another blank canvass for seasoning...you could add the same seasonings above or try corn niblets or chopped jalapeno peppers.

Well, I have made myself hungry...off to the kitchen!

Overripe Bananas and You

Today I noticed that we had three overripe bananas wasting away in the fruit basket. In the past, I have put them in the freezer, thinking that one day, I would use them in baking...And, in fact, I have two of them in there right now.

Today, I was wondering if that was such a good idea...and couldn't remember if I had actually heard that somewhere or if I had made it up...and being the social media maven that I am, I asked my friends on Twitter what they do with 'nana's...A whole "bunch" responded...here's what they said...

@lilgirlbigvoice "Yup, just make sure to peel first otherwise you have to thaw and it's difficult as the banana will be all mushy!" http://littlegirlbigvoice.blogspot.com/

@qponcutie "I freeze them to use later for banana bread.  Works like a charm.  They're black & ugly, but tasty" http://www.qponcutie.com

@gloreebe88 "yes I do this.. great for smoothies too!" http://www.touchlifespirit.com

@stanorchard "throw in ziplock, throw in freezer, bring out and thaw for later use. Easy squeasy." http://stanorchard.com

@sendchocolate "yes, I have done that.  It works.  good for pancakes and muffins" http://casadecruz.blogspot.com/

@catrinarose "Yes, you can freeze your bananas. You can also throw them in your smoothies! YUM!" http://plantwhateverbringsyoujoy.com

@kiyoshipdx   "RE: freezing- I do that all the time (bananas, bread, pound cakes, mikan). frozen bananas are perfect for baking banana bread. Also you can freeze herbs which are not fresh anymore. Especially Rosemary-One of things you never want to put in a freezer is Tofu- It will make it like a sponge." http://donorsresource.org/

@gardenpunk "yep, froze all of the bananas after they were overripe and make baked goods with 'em" http://www.gardenpunks.com

@dineanddish "I do that and it works perfectly!" http://www.dineanddish.net

And, the tweet that started it all...was really about zucchini...@foodietot shreds her extra and freezes...
"Found it a good way to use them up before they go bad. And, faster to bake the muffins later.
http://www.foodietots.com

Wow, lots of people are being thrifty and great stewards of our resources...Next week, I will share one of my favorite recipes for banana cake...I won a blue ribbon in the state fair...yes, I was an adult, yes, I entered it in the state fair, and yes, I really won...

Start freezing those 'nanas!

Pickling and Freezing Grean Beans

This week I am participating in an awesome new food themed blog series. Away to Garden and Martha Stewart's Dinner Tonight blogs have come together to create Thursday Food Fests, a weekly posting on the wonderful things we do with the bounty from our gardens. This week is green beans...

I just harvested 4 lbs of purple green beans and dragon's tongue beans (check out the story at Gardener to Farmer).

Aren't they gorgeous?

Still, there's only so many beans a woman (and her family) can eat...what to do with the rest?

I am a big proponent of the vacuum sealer. I have one and use it all of the time. We also have a chest freezer that keeps everything in a steady, frozen state. Here's what to do to get the best result:

Wash and trim both ends of the green beans. Blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes or so, then dunk in ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and pat dry. Pop them in the bag and vacuum seal, if you have one, if not, splurge on the locking freezer bags.

Pretty darn easy, I'd say...but if you are feeling a little more adventurous...how about canning them?

Follow standard sterilizing and canning methods (find them here).

Ingredients:
2 lbs or so of beans
4 cups of white vinegar
1/2 cup canning salt
4 cups of water

In this recipe, there is no pre-cooking (also called raw packing), just clean and trim green beans and put them in the canning jar with a couple of cloves of garlic. Heat up water, vinegar and salt. Pour solution in each jar.

My recipe is adapted from one of my favorite canning resources, PickYourOwn.org .

I would suggest playing with different flavorings and veggie combinations. Try adding pepper flakes or whole hot peppers to the beans. I also love Bay leaves, fennel seeds, dry mustard, caraway seeds...

Pickled green beans are a great addition to salads, used as upscale hors d oeuvres, drained and added at the end of the cooking cycle of a pot roast. Yummy, yummy, yummy!!!

I would love to know if you pickle your green beans...how do they taste?

A Greener Charcoal

New, greener possibilities for grilling! I was just thinking about this earlier in the week...nice to know someone else is, too! Found this here...

Vibrant Table, Yoga Cowgirls and Our House, A Benefit Dinner

This weekend, we attending an absolutely unbelievable dinner party. The food, the surroundings, the company...were truly fantastic! It's always wonderful when you can have such a great experience and raise money for an amazing cause...Our House. I have been a big supporter of Our House, as I believe it is an a great resource for people living with HIV/AIDS...here's what their site says...

"Since 1988, Our House has been a residential care facility that provides services for people with HIV/AIDS.  Residents work with skilled professionals in nursing, social work and occupational therapy.

At Our House, some residents regain their health and become independent enough to be discharged.  Others remain at Our House for continued intensive services, maintenance services or palliative care. "

Each year, they have a series of dinners to help raise the funds necessary to serve their clients, Dinner at My House for Our House. My friend Maryellen Cooke hosted the event...She is an amazing musician and hosts a great blog called Yoga Cowgirls. If you love twitter like we do, she is @yogacowgirls (I am @jeanannvk). Here's a shot of our setting...

Dinner was outstanding, provided by Vibrant Table Catering...I had the pleasure of sitting with Art Fortuna, one of the owners of the catering company.

Here's what we had...

A yummy starter with tiny tomatoes, fresh crab, avocado...

A delectable salad with Rogue blue cheese, Asian pears, mixed greens, and calendula blossoms...

An savory, peppercorn grilled steak with mashed potatoes, Purple Haze carrots and sprouting broccoli from Maryellen's garden.

And a melt in your mouth Tres Leche cake with a blueberry, blackberry and strawberry topping...good grief, this almost did me in...

I love the company of good friends...

In this photo, Maryellen is hugging our friend, Amber Case...who is sitting next to Maryellen's partner, Mike, who is sitting next to another friend, Bram Pitoyo...Amber and Bram have a great blog, Hazelnut Tech Talk. And you can follow on Twitter at @caseorganic and @brampitoyo.

If you are in need of a caterer, I highly recommend Vibrant Table...and if you are in need of a good cause, I highly recommend Our House...support your community, and have fun while you do it!