Kinfolk Dinner Astoria | Part I
Most often places that you dream of being are found so far away. This time, I found myself there.
In a small Scandinavian founded fishing town at the very northern most coast of Oregon, a Kinfolk dinner was held. The building, once a fishing loft, was for the afternoon converted into a place of gathering. A foreign, hidden corner of the town became a familiar and common place. A dinner shared around a table, a place for like minded folk, a celebration of the comfort found through imperfection and of wabi-sabi, a messy meal.
Sharp light fell on floor boards, soft faces sauntered up stairs. We sat picnic style at the long table, peered through windows and passed fire roasted fall roots and Japanese fare. The sun set, the north western light softened and fall arrived; the way I imagined the Oregon October to behave. Drizzle, breeze, golden light. They laughed and shared warmth and I pinched my left arm to be sure. And then I found myself there. So close. This place. An evening of unforgettable. And I was, so gratefully, there.
Part II coming soon.
Bulls Bay Saltworks
It was a rainy, last minute Saturday drive to visit Teresa and Rustin Gooden at their home and salt farm, Bulls Bay Saltworks. I received the most warm, generous welcome by the Gooden’s, their excitable dog, a mooching drooling cat, a chatty pregnant pig, many egg laying chickens and one fly away, self-homed peacock. Their one acre homestead is a little dream land – full of veggie gardens (including the world’s hottest chili plant), happy animals and of course, a salt farm.
Teresa and Rustin approach salt naturally – their small batch, locally harvested, sustainable process makes for an efficient, innovative and humble saltworks. Situated just north of Charleston, SC, they harvest water locally from a protected class 1 wilderness area in Cape Romain. They then use a solar power evaporation process to form four different types of salt including crystals, flake, a ‘margarita’ variety and their most delicious bourbon barrel smoked salt. As we trudged around the farm in our gumboots (their property was part flooded due to an unseasonably large amount of rain) I was completely swept up by Teresa and Rustin’s simple yet quality approach to living and farming. They love what they do and work so well together at it – quite inspiring to be around and great to know that their product comes from such a heartfelt place.
Lately, I have been finding that more and more I am enjoying the times where I get to see and photograph food in its most natural, basic state. I love learning where it comes from, how it is made and then I love getting excited about how I can turn it into something delicious for the dinner table. Not only is the process and the story such an invigorating part, but the people, like Teresa and Rustin, who make their life's work about producing innovative, quality, and natural products from the land - and sea - is what pulls at my heart strings most. It gives me goosebumps. It leaves me curious, thankful and wanting to learn more.
Keep an eye out next week for a recipe using Bulls Bay Saltworks Smoked Sea Salt. I hear that mushrooms are involved… and there may just be a little Bulls Bay Salt giveaway too – it is quite delicious and very much worth sharing.
Scalloping | Port St Joe
Never ever have I been so excited about a boat outing. I love boats, I really do. But this time there was food foraging involved. We were going scalloping.
My dear friend Suzanah had invited us to join her family out on the bay of Port St Joe. We went out on her dad, Danny's, boat. The water was like glass in the early morning and the sun was already beginning to reach the end of its harsh summer glow. Indian summer was upon us and it felt good. Danny, a local fisherman and town resident for the past 30 years had so much to tell us about the water. I listened hard, trying to soak up his generous knowledge and his broad southern accent.
It was quite a slow season for scallops, he told us. Not quite sure what we were looking for, we snorkeled over the sand and through the sea grass searching for a find. I became fearful that we wouldn't find any scallops in the bay, but I was terribly excited when, after a quick trawl through the ocean bed floor, Danny came back with four little scallop shells nestled in his hands. Jakob, determined, went out and found one more. Danny then showed us how to shuck the scallops, to remove the guts and to keep the muscle. And then, like sweet raw sushi, we ate them right there on the boat.
The beauty of the bay struck me. How have I lived just a short few hours drive from this place and never been out on this water. We watched as fish skipped across its surface, found sea urchins and in the distance, the sugar sand glowed white. After scalloping we took the boat around the peninsular, walked on a dune island and had a swim in the shallow, warm water of the Gulf. On the way back to shore, my mum and Emily sat and talked, Jakob and Trevor had a nap in the sun, Danny steered the boat and I breathed and took it all in.
I am so grateful to the Raffield family for showing us a morning out on the bay. Foraging for food is my ultimate idea of heaven - and to learn the bays culture of harvesting scallops and to be shown a little of the lifestyle of the area put us all in a very happy, grateful place. Those five little scallops were the most delicious pieces of Florida that I have tasted.
It really, honestly, was the best boat trip. Ever.
