Two Evenings in September ~ The Communal Tables

The Communal Tables ~ Two Nights of Festa Italiano!
The Feast of San Gennaro.

Sunday September 18, 2011 5:00PM -AND-
Thursday September 22, 2011 6:00P

$32 per person plus gratuity. Featuring special fall harvest menus & Italianate Northwest wine varietals.

Wildlings and Winged Things

We are still reeling from the gorgeous weather Sunday in the Cascades of the Columbia Gorge where we simply couldn't wait to check our favorite mushrooming haunts. After the drenching rains of spring and early summer AND a strong and reliable tip last week from our "source" that the season was just beginning (will not mention here that the Coast Range was discussed on that day!) ~ presenting a kilo of tiny chanterelle buttons to attest ~ we set about to get the goods. No go in the central Cascades but we did harvest loads of of Evergreen and Himalayan blackberries at the foot of Wind Mountain on the north shore of the Columbia.
As always, I (Fernando) attract deer flies and every manner of undesirable flying insects. I was stung on my wrist by one such creature, although uncertain what it was. The way my wrist throbbed and swelled immediately would suggest a wasp or bee but no stinger present so uncertain. Next day with a balloon-sized wrist and hand, can only plan the dishes that will play into the day's harvest. Cattail roots, oaxalis, miner's lettuce and wild cress were among the take. A pair of fawns accompanied us while picking berries. They appeared to have no fear of us as one boldly nosed our flat of select one-ripe-to-a-cluster berries as we worked.
We'll have to wait for the salal berries, Oregon grape, huckleberries, chanterelles and such for a few more weeks.