A Weekend Around Portland


What a nice weekend. It was unusually beautiful weather here in Portland, still very cold but stunningly clear. Les and I went on Saturday morning to the Sellwood/Reed College area of Portland. We found what seems like a new restaurant in an old location - it is called Lili's and it was excellent. The service was fractured, but I think they are all brand new and it was not crowded so the locals haven't quite discovered it, but it was a fine place to be on Saturday morning. We took a walk through the Rhododendron Gardens at Crystal Springs afterwards and had a great time. Lots of winter ducks and other birds there including:

American Wigeon
Eurasian Wigeon
American x Eurasian Wigeon
Ring-necked Duck
Wood Duck
Ruddy Duck
Mallard
Lesser Scaup
Gadwall
Bufflehead
American Coot
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Canada Goose
Cackling Goose
Varied Thrush
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper
American Robin
American Crow
Northern Flicker
Song Sparrow
Winter Wren
Marsh Wren
Great Blue Heron

On Sunday we drove over to the coast. We went to Canon Beach via Tillamook Bay to see what was happening there. We stopped at the Tillamook State Forest Interpretative Center for a short walk. On the return hike I saw my first ever NORTHERN GOSHAWK in Oregon putting on a rather fantastic aerial display. Not much actually at Tillamook Bay, the tide was very low and we did not see a single wader but it was still a very fine day. Not a complete list, but things that impressed me:

Yellow-rumped Warbler (loads of them)
Townsend's Warbler
Varied Thrush (loads of them)
American Robin (fewer than Varied Thrush in the forest)
Bald Eagle (a very immature bird, still sort working out the flying business)
Great Egret (at least 10)
Brandt's Cormorant
Western Grebe (1)
Eared Grebe (2)
Herring Gull
Western Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Ring-billed Gull (just one, I thought it was unusual)

We also paused along the highway at several points just to admire the day and I looked around for any pelagic birds and did not see a single one.

I promised Leslie a milkshake at Tillamook Cheese Factory but there was a 45 minute wait for ice cream at 2pm so we passed. I would never think of stopping there in summer but, January?! Wow.

Mike Gellerman
North Portland

Great Blue Heron on a frozen pond
Cooper's Hawk on a frozen pond
Wood Duck pair in a tree, Crystal Springs Lake, Portland
Male Wood Duck
Gadwalls staying dry
Male Bufflehead in just the right light

Making Dry Salami

The first salami I made I did not know any better, I just guessed and made it and it was good. Well, it was rustic and smoky and pretty good, but no one died eating it and it encouraged me to think about doing a better job. This is a case of too much knowledge though, I have every book ever published on smoking and curing meat now. The first time around I cured pork in a brine made from "pink salt", ground it all up with some good Italian seasoning, cold smoked it for a few hours and hung it to cure. I was a bit more sophisticated on subsequent efforts, but still just experimenting. This last batch though, should be the test if it is actually better to be smarter than just going with your instincts. Now I am using Bactoferm and DS-2 curing salts and experimenting with cold smoking vs just ageing, but it is all good fun. We are going to build a "curing box" this weekend out of western cedar to keep these babies warm and properly humidified. I am also in the process of the 5 week process to make some braceola - Les calls it $35/lb beef jerky, but I like it and nearly 50 million Italians can't be all that wrong.

Some pictures:



Stuffing the Salami - a little bit of art to this



The result - 2kg of pork becomes salami



Our garage, soon to be replaced with a "curing box"

So it has been winter and Leslie took these pictures while I was away. The pond was frozen and the birds seem frozen in time.

We had a flock of Common Mergansers back again this week. And, an anomaly, 3 swans on the pond. One was collared but I did not get a chance to ID it properly. By most evidence they were Tundra Swans collared in Alaska last summer. Two of the birds were juveniles and the adult was collared.

Kleptoparasitism

A long time ago, well 30 years ago does seem like a long time,
when I was a small mammal ecologist studying cryptic, nocturnal
rodents I built four 1/2 acre enclosures with dug-in flashing and
fences to study the interactions and breeding ecology in
Microtus californicus, Reithrodontomys megalotis, and 
Peromyscus maniculatus. After a month of long, cold nights
trapping and marking and mapping the animals I was ready for
breeding season in early spring. A pair of Great-blue Herons
discovered my enclosures and within a couple of days it was
their favorite hang out. Then a pair of Red-tailed Hawks arrived
to nest in some eucalyptus trees bordering "my" field and
complete carnage ensued. When the Red-tails weren't stealing
mice from the Great-blues they were using my fence to perch
on and just knocking the furry little guys off themselves. A pair
of Loggerhead Shrikes arrived at the same time and found
that Reithrodontomys were a perfect sized meal. Within two
weeks, trap success had dropped 90%. With the abundance
of food the Herons barely noticed the Hawks, they just
jumped and dropped what they had and caught another one. 
Fairly soon thereafter I dropped my interest in small mammals
and changed my dissertation to population and evolutionary
ecology of Central African birds - they are diurnal and colorful
and it was a warm place to work. And save the occasional
owl or falcon in my nets, there was little carnage to behold.   

Mike Gellerman

Chicken, Black Bean, Rice and Pumpkin Enchiladas

This not a recipe for a quick meal, well it is quick if you have your black beans and enchilada sauce in the freezer. I make a big batch of black beans every couple of months and a big batch of enchilada sauce in the late summer and freeze it all in portions for two. This makes a big batch of enchiladas, but they freeze well in small portions for lunch, or alternatively wrap the same filling in flour tortillas and freeze 12 burritos for lunches.

3 cups Basic Black Beans
3 cups diced, cooked Pumpkin or other orange/yellow winter squash (acorn, Delicata, etc)
2 cups Seasoned Rice
2 boneless, skinless Chicken Breast, roasted, coarsely chopped or

2 cups of cooked coarsely chopped other meat (optional)

1+ cup shredded Cheese (i.e. Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Queso Fresco)
1/2 cup Cilantro, coarsely chopped
3 cups Enchilada Sauce
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
24 large size Corn Tortillas

1. If you choose to add some chicken to your enchiladas (I think it enhances these tremendously) then take 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (actually, 1 breast split). Coat lightly with olive oil, some salt and pepper on each side. In a baking dish put them in the oven at 375º until the internal temperature is about 150º, slightly undercooked (170º is considered cooked). Allow to cool and coarsely chop.
2. Clean a small pumpkin or winter squash, peel and chop enough for about 3 cups of 1/4 to 1/2" pieces. Simmer in salted water until cooked (fork tender, but not falling apart). Drain and cool.
3. Combine the room temperature beans, pumpkin, rice, chicken, most of the cheese, cilantro and about 1/2 cup of Enchilada Sauce in a large bowl. Mix until just combined. Don't mash it too hard, you want some texture in the enchiladas.
4. Heat the remaining Enchilada Sauce to a simmer, transfer to a flat container larger than your tortillas. Heat the tortillas one at a time in a dry skillet or griddle to make them flexible. Quickly dip them on both sides in the warm enchilada sauce. Add about 1/2 cup of the filling and roll them into an enchilada. Place seam side down in a baking dish. Continue until you run out of filling. Drizzle the enchilada dipping sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Don't drown them in sauce, just a nice topping. Sprinkle some of the reserved cheese over the top.
5. Bake at 350º for about 20 minutes. The topping cheese should be melted, the sauce bubbly and the enchiladas heated through.
6. Serve hot with a nice fresh salad. Extras are easily frozen in individual portions for lunches or late dinners. No need for a big plate of rice and beans slathered in more cheese with these, keep it simple.
   

Basic Black Beans

I make this pot every couple of months and freeze the results in the 3 cup "disposable" plastic containers. This recipe yields roughly 18-20 cups of cooked beans. All the ingredients are approximate, adjust to your personal taste. It is not a good idea to add other larger chunks of vegetables. These are clearly not vegetarian, but they are creamy, savory beans that are a great compliment to any meal.

2 lbs dried Black Beans
2-3 large Yellow Onions, chopped
10-15 cloves of Garlic, chopped
1-4 Jalapeno Peppers, seeded and chopped
8 oz Salt Pork or 1 Ham Hock
6+ cups Chicken Stock
Salt

1. Pick through the beans for rocks or other foreign material, in a large pot cover with at least twice the volume of water, cover and soak overnight. (Refrigerate if it is hot outside or if there is chance you will be delayed cooking the beans or you might have black bean beer).
2. Drain the beans and rinse. Cover the beans with plus an inch or so more with fresh water, add the salt pork or ham hock and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to barely simmering. Skim any scum and froth.
3. Add onions, peppers (to taste, start with some and add more during cooking), garlic
   
4. Continue to simmer, uncovered and monitor now and then adding chicken stock to keep the beans covered with liquid as they expand volume. Stir occasionally, adjust salt and Jalapeno peppers as the beans become tender. Cook (2-3 hours) until some of the beans are falling apart and the pot is a mix of sauce and whole beans. Remove the salt pork or ham hock.
5. Enjoy a bowl, allow the rest to cool and then freeze in portions you will use for a meal. Make a new pot when you use the last container in the freezer.

Enchilada Sauce

Made at the end of summer, most everything comes from the garden. Everything is approximate, just taste as it all cooks together and adjust the heat and seasoning to your taste. I usually freeze the sauce in 1 or 2 cup "disposable" plastic containers to last as long as long as the supplies last. I make this sauce hot because it is always mixed with something else, but adjust the spice to your taste.

15-20 cups coarsely chopped fresh Tomatoes
3-4 coarsely chopped Yellow Onions
15-20 coarsely chopped cloves of Garlic
8-12 husked and coarsely chopped tomatillos
4+ fresh Jalapeno Peppers
8+ cups Chicken Stock
1/4 to 1/2 cup Chili Powder
2-4 dried whole Ancho Chilies
Salt

1. Add all the ingredients except chicken stock, chili powder and salt to a large pot. Just cover with water and begin cooking over medium heat uncovered.
2. As the mixture begins to cook down slowly add chicken stock and stir each time to keep the vegetables just covered and simmering. When everything is near a sauce, add chili powder a bit at time to taste. It takes time to incorporate so continue to taste and adjust salt and chili powder. Add chicken stock as required to maintain a constant consistency.
   
3. When the desired consistency and flavor (probably several hours), remove the dried chili pods. Process the sauce through a food mill or gently through a blender. The sauce should be smooth and thick but with a bit of texture.
4. Cool and freeze in 1-2 cup portions.
   

Seasoned Rice

A quick and savory rice for any meal. This recipe will yield about 2 cups of cooked rice. The recipe scales easily and this recipe freezes well. A little cumin, turmeric, oregano in any combination (maybe 1 tsp in total) is a nice addition depending on your taste.

1 cup long grain Rice
1 1/2 cups Chicken Stock
1/2 Yellow Onion, chopped
1-2 tbs Garlic, finely chopped
1 small Jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped or

small can of diced green chilies or

1/4 cup chopped bell pepper

1/2 cup diced canned diced tomatoes with juice
Salt
Vegetable or Olive Oil

1. In a heavy medium non-stick saucepan, add 1 tablespoon oil. Heat until almost smoking. Add onions and cook until just browning, add garlic, peppers and rice and cook for another 2-3 minutes stirring continuously. Add tomatoes, and continue cooking and stirring until almost all of the liquid is gone.
2. Add chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed (about 20 minutes).
   
3. Fluff with a fork, adjust salt if necessary, the flavor should be savory and bright. A little browned crust is a delicacy, but don't burn it.

New Year's Weekend - Sisters, Santiam Pass Christmas Bird Count

We left home on the 31st at 11am and drove to Sisters via Mt Hood/Madras and Redmond. On the way we stopped a few places to sightsee on this beautiful day. Near Deschutes Crossing we pulled off to the Recapture Resevoir and we were treated to the view of a pair of adult BALD EAGLES flying by west to east and a pair of GREAT BLUE HERONS flying west to east. 100's of MALLARDS and BUFFLEHEADS along with a smattering of RING-NECKED DUCKS.

On the way to Madras we saw several RED-TAILED HAWKS, a single ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, and at least 25 AMERICAN KESTRELS.

It was bitterly cold in Sisters but we stayed at the Sisters' Inn and RV Park, remarkably comfortable room with king-sized bed, breakfast and quiet for just $75. As it was New Year's Eve and the dining fare in Sisters is limited we drove to the Tumalo Feed Company outside of Bend for dinner. It was a lot of fun, but pretty disgusting. The first course is an enormous basket of onion rings with salsa that Les and I managed to eat about 20% of. Then enormous steaks, fried potatoes, beans, garlic bread - I think we finished about 1/3 if that portion and finally ice cream. Whoa! The restaurant was packed with loads of overweight families and children, everyone seemed to have a clean plate. What a cultural experience.

We met at Santiam Pass snow park at 8:30 to receive our Christmas Bird Count assignment. We were paired with a nice couple from Bend (Brian and Antonia) and had a good day. The snow was old and crusted so we never needed snowshoes, but we ended up walking six or seven miles for a limited number of birds but a good day.

Gray Jay (parking lot)
Stellers Jay
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Pied-billed Grebe
Common Merganser
Brown Creeper
Winter Wren
Common Raven
Dark-eyed Junco
American Dipper* (2)
Ring-necked Duck
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Trumpeter Swan
Chestnut-backed Chickadee

*American Dippers - there were two near the resort at Clearlake. They were in the lake one just 40 feet from us and the other across the cove. Both were actively diving and calling with a remarkable active series mimic calls along with the standard dipper repetoire. We kept looking for grosbeaks, cell phones, and other unknown whistles and trills and these two little guys were, on close observation, responsible for all the noise.

Les and I drove back to Portland at the end of the count, a little tired after eight hours of walking in snow and a 4 hour drive, but happy we made time for the event.

Other highlights: the firm snow was great for tracks. We saw lots of rabbit tracks with different gaits and speeds, river otter, squirrel, raccon, river otter, and mink or some other mustelid of similar size.