|
  |
|
EPISODE #38- SATURDAY MAY 29, 2010
Happy Memorial Day! We are taking a
trip! This Memorial Day weekend brought us to
the
Container Store (503-620-5700) and we stocked up on picnic
supplies to enjoy the holiday. So you think you can't enjoy this
holiday weekend? Actually you can. The weather is going to be a
bit iffy for this weekend. So instead of tackling those pesky
projects, take a little time and relax with this edition of
Fusion.
Small Changes – Big Impact
Celebrating the summer season is not hard and you can make each Bar B Q
memorable with just a few small changes to your basic patio dishes. Lora
from Al’s Garden Center walked us through a couple of quick set-ups and
showed us how easy it is to make a big impact on your guests. First she
started with a basic set of white dishes and glasses. Then by adding
some little details, she was able to convert the table into a
celebration of the 4th of July. This totally said ‘summer’. Next we
moved to fragrance. The next set-up showcased fresh flowers and bright
colors. It definitely was a ‘garden party’. It even included sprigs of
lavender. Lora also included candles to bring more fragrance to the
table. Finally we moved to color. Lora used green as the color of
choice. When you do color you need to think about size, structures and
shapes. Those examples will help to keep the color from blending
together. If you are looking for ideas to jazz up your summer garden
parties, stop by the gift department at the Al’s in Woodburn and
Sherwood.
Kid Proof Carpet
The 2 toughest things on your carpet are kids and
pets. To learn about some of the newest and
toughest carpets we stopped by
Paulson’s Floor Coverings (503-620-7080).
Tyler Paulson told Robin about the newest fabrics
that are out on the market. He told us that
most carpets have some kind of stain resistant
protection but they don’t cover the toughest stains
like bleaches, blood and wine. There is a new
product called Sorona fiber by Mohawk Carpets.
In fact, to test it they put it in a pen with a live
rhino for 2 weeks and then went in and cleaned it!
It bounced back beautifully! Next we took a
look at the latest in kid’s carpets from Disney.
You can get patterns that feature a bunch of
different Disney characters. You can get
Hannah Montana, Disney fairies and an assortment of
princesses. For the boy you can get Winnie the
Pooh, Cars and Toy Story. If you have a small
Disney fan you need to stop by Paulson’s!
Rhubarb Soup
Rhubarb is
one of those old-time vegetables from your grandmother’s garden.
Who would ever eat this stuff if it wasn’t in a
Strawberry-rhubarb pie? Well, count us as people who are
rhubarb lovers! Chef David Musial joined us again for a
recipe that will change the way you look at this vegetable.
Rhubarb is considered a sour or bitter vegetable. The
leaves are not good to eat and can give you an upset stomach if
you eat them, but the stalks are where the flavor is. Chef
David used a couple of cups of rhubarb chunks, some sugar,
orange juice, water and orange zest to make this wonderful
chilled, soup recipe. It is another great way to enjoy the
fresh fruits and vegetables of the season.
Check out the recipe here.
Grilling Gadgets
There are gadgets for your kitchen and there
are gadgets for your
grill! John Frankel from the
NW Natural Appliance Center
(503-220-2362) joined us at the
grill to show us some of
the great 'gadgets' that you can use to make your grilling
easier and more fun! He showed us a meat probe thermometer to
check the temperature
of your steak so you know when it is done to perfection. There
is even a remote version so you don't have to hang out at the
grill the whole time.
He also showed us some cedar planks, they are still a very hot
item to add flavor when you are cooking on your grill. Another
way to add flavor is
with smoke. John had a smoker tube to show us. All you do is add
chips and place it on the grill and it creates the smoke for
flavoring your meal. He
also had grilling baskets so you can grill without losing your
meal into the coals or flame. It works great with fish, small
vegetables and kabobs.
Finally he showed us the chicken rack. This is where you can
place a chicken on top of the frame (and over a can of your
favorite beverage) and you
get a nice and moist grilled chicken. For these and many
other grill gadgets, check out our friends at the NW Natural
Appliance Center.
Rhubarb Margarita
Earlier Chef
David showed us how to make a wonderful and tasty rhubarb soup.
Now he showed us how to use that same recipe to make a cool and
unusual cocktail for your next party. First he took the
base soup and strained it to get more of the fiber out of it.
Then he added Triple Sec, Tequila and lime juice. He also
added a little bit of chopped rhubarb to give it a tiny bit more
‘bite’. Shake it up and serve it over ice and enjoy yet
another taste from your garden!
Check out the recipe
here.
Hazelnut Encrusted Lavender Salmon
This recipe is a real show-stopper for your dinner guests.
It makes use of three of the seasonal favorites in our
area, Salmon, hazelnuts and lavender. Kathy Gehrt, author of
'Discover Cooking with Lavender'
shared this recipe with us to celebrate the publishing of her
new book. We met her at the
NW
Natural Appliance Center (503-220-2362) test kitchen to find out how to put this dish
together. She started by dry-roasting her lavender. She added
the lavender to some chopped hazelnuts. She also added chopped
basil and garlic. While David mixed those ingredients, Kathy
coated the salmon steak with some Dijon mustard and honey. Kathy
then covered the salmon with the hazelnut mixture and put it in
the oven at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. You are actually looking
for 130 degrees for an internal temperature of the fish. If you
would like to learn more about Lavender you can check out the
Oregon Lavender Festival happening July 10-11
all around the state of Oregon.
Check out the recipe
here.
Kitchen Ants
The weather is warming and that means that the flowers
are blooming, it also means the appearance of a common
pest in the kitchen, the ant. Robin told us about some
of the ways you can use to get rid of them or at least
deter them. First we talked about the commercial
products that are available.
‘Grant’s Kills Ants’ is a product that has been
around for many years and it is VERY effective. Another
commercial product is Terro. This one is a borax based
product that is also very effective. There are other
more organic solutions to repel them. You can use a
white vinegar, pepper, cinnamon, and a bay leaf to mask
their trails, and that can also send them away. |
| |
|
   
 |
