FarWest Show recap

Timber Press attended the FarWest show in Portland, August 20-22. It's amazing how convention centers are transformed during nursery trade shows. The floors are covered with carpeting, and there are plants everywhere. The florescent lighting helps you remember that you are indoors, but beyond that, there are trees and grasses and flowers, oh my!

We spent most of our time at our booth, ringing up purchases and testing our knowledge of our books.





(In real life, our sign did not reflect that much glare. Yet another example of life not imitating art.)

During a slow period Saturday afternoon, Kathryn and I went into the show to check it out. We found a random wind turbine, and Kathryn stood next to it for scale.



Then benches were decorated with facts. I was given an odd look for taking a picture of a bench. I persevered.



There was a central display with new introductions.

Black Eyed Susans


Petunia, "Pretty Much Picasso"


Several of our authors were at the show - Ray Evison, Sean Hogan, and Mike Dirr all made appearances at our booth. Ray also modeled (with a big smile!) his new clematis varieties.



There were lovely displays of trees and grasses from Woodburn Nursery, A&R Spada Farms, and Bizon Nursery.







Plug Connection had a gorgeous living wall display. I think it says "tessera", which means "an individual tile in a mosaic." That seems appropriate, given that the whole things was made up of small succulent plugs. It was gorgeous. I want one at home. I would just sit around and look at it all day long.



Burpee was there with a big edibles display. After the show, when we were all breaking down our booths, they gave away pots and pots and pots of basil.



The car smelled like basil all the way home.

Chani West-Foyle, Marketing Associate

Pacific Golden Chanterelle

The Pacific Golden Chanterelle, or Cantharellus formosus if you’d prefer, is one of the most commonly foraged mushrooms. They are easy to find in the moister parts of Pacific Northwest and in season from early summer until late fall. If you are planning a weekend foraging trip, find a few to make this recipe.

Mushroom Cream Sauce

1 teaspoon olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, diced
2 pounds chanterelles (or morels in early spring), roughly chopped
1 cup cream
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes

1. Heat a nonreactive pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and butter. When butter is melted, add garlic and shallots and cook until soft.
2. Add mushroom and sprinkle with salt. Stir and sauté until mushrooms are well cooked.
3. Add enough cream to cover mushrooms halfway (add more if necessary). Stir and cook until sauce is thickened.
4. Add salt and peppers to taste. Pour sauce over pasta, rice, polenta or potatoes, or just enjoy it with bread.

Kathryn Juergens, sales and marketing associate
Images from Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest
Recipe from Northwest Vegetarian Cooking, available May 2010

Mushrooms

I was reading through Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest today while working on a review copy mailing. I don’t really know a lot about mushrooms—I have never been foraging and I don’t like them in my food—but I do know that it is an immensely popular activity in the Pacific Northwest. After reading through the introduction, I had a general sense of what mushrooms are, where you can find them, general guidelines for collecting, and how to avoid getting poisoned. I actually feel like I could do this (with some guidance)!



So, with safety in mind, a few tips on how not to get poisoned while out foraging for mushrooms.

1. Identify all mushrooms before picking.
2. Don’t pick mushrooms from a place that may have been contaminated with chemicals.
3. Make sure all picked mushrooms are fresh and in good condition.
4. Never eat a mushroom unless it is positively identified as edible by you or by someone whose judgment you trust.
5. Never eat raw mushrooms.
6. When trying a new species, only eat a small amount.
7. Eat wild mushrooms in moderation.
8. Use extra caution when foraging in a new location.
9. When in doubt, throw it out.



Kathryn Juergens, sales and marketing associate
Taken from Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest

Get Outside!

Though most of our titles sit on the gardening shelf, we also publish books about the Pacific Northwest. How could we not? We’re surrounded by such natural beauty and history it would be a waste not to celebrate it. Most of our regional titles are based around outdoor activities: hiking, city walks, mushroom foraging, and month-by-month adventures. In a city where the weather is fantastically sunny for only four months, every extra bit of summer needs to be taken advantage of. Off early on Friday? Take a walk around the waterfront. Up early Saturday morning? Pick a new hike in Forest Park.

Unfortunately, the weather today is grey and overcast. But the weekend forecast shows lots of sun. Here’s one way to enjoy it.



Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge via the Springwater Corridor

The Springwater Corridor is a wonderful bike and pedestrian path that runs along the Willamette River from the Sellwood Bridge to OMSI, just north of the Ross Island Bridge. The wide paved trail is designed to accommodate walkers, joggers, hikers, bicycles, wheelchairs, and strollers. The path follows parts of the Springwater Railroad Line, which ran between downtown Portland and Estacada from 1903 to 1958. North of Sellwood Park, the trail winds past the 163-acre Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, a wetland habitat and a great place for birding.

Kathryn Juergens, sales and marketing associate
Trip pulled from The Willamette River Field Guide, by Travis Williams