Guests Appreciate Generosity

Thank you so much for mailing the items I left behind after my recent stay. They arrived in perfect condition a few days ago. Sorry it took me so long to let you know. I appreciate your generosity in covering the postage. Hope to have the opportunity to stay in your beautiful Inn again.

Sincerely,

Sheila T.

Port Ludlow, WA

Harrison House Suites Thinks Spring

Everything’s coming up roses! Perhaps we have the wrong lyrics. Well at the Harrison House we are now enjoying tulips. They abound in all different kinds around the Inns.

Lighthouses and More Featured in National Historic Preservation Month

Lime Kiln Light House. Photo Courtesy of Maya's Westside Charters

May is the month when the entire nation celebrates history, architecture, and culture of the past. Communities share significant historic sites and buildings that tell the stories of the past, and celebrate the diverse and unique heritage of our country’s cities and towns.

We are fortunate that Friday Harbor was one of the few towns to escape devastating fires in the 1800s, which is why you’ll see so many businesses in town housed in charming old wooden buildings. But there is more to the history of the island than a few blocks of architecture, and the San Juan Historical Museum has a full line-up of events for you to learn about the history of this captivating island.

Events for National Historic Preservation Month -May

All events held in the San Juan Historical Museum Resource Center

Saturday, May 12, 3:00 pm. Fish Tales with John Wade & friends. Hear fascinating tales of yore about the glory days of fishing in the San Juans. Learn about the people, the boats and the fishing methods used when salmon was king. Suggested donation $5, museum members no charge.

Saturday, May 19, 3:00 pm. Evergreen Lighthouses, Washington & Oregon, with noted author and lighthouse historian Elinor DeWire. A colorful armchair tour of the lighthouses of Washington and Oregon, past and present!

Travel up the coast from Cape Blanco to the Columbia River and Portland, then on to Cape Flattery and into the treacherous Strait of Juan de Fuca. Sail among the San Juans north to the tiny sentinel at nubby Point Roberts, then down the shore to Admiralty Inlet, Puget Sound, Seattle, and Olympia. Meet lightkeepers and their families, animal companions at lighthouses, even lighthouse ghosts. Hear true tales of shipwrecks, storms, fog, and unusual events. Learn about a bygone and cherished chapter of American history when human hands tended the lights along the Oregon and Washington shores.

Local lighthouse preservation groups will provide information about ongoing preservation efforts at Patos Island, Turn Point and Lime Kiln Lighthouses  Seating will be limited. Suggested donation $5, museum members no charge.

Saturday, May 26, 2012, 1:00-4:00 pm. Know  Your Island Walk. Meet Sandy Strehlou, Town of Friday Harbor Coordinator of Historic Preservation and Kevin Loftus, Director of San Juan Historical Museum.  Take Friday Harbor’s first-ever tour of Post War Architecture known as Recent Past Architecture; 1945-1960. Discover why these very familiar and often under-appreciated buildings are considered historic and important to our heritage. Tour ends with a private tour of the more distant past at the San Juan Historical Museum’s eight buildings, each with displays and exhibits depicting the unique history of San Juan Island. Free and open to the public.

Meet the Innkeeper

Virgina Dean Spruces Up Our Gardens

If our innkeeper greets you with a smudge of dirt on her nose or mud on her boots, you’ll have the pleasure of meeting Virginia Dean, the newest addition to our team. Being a former landscaper, Virginia saw so much potential in our winterized gardens, she couldn’t wait to get cracking at them. In fact, we could barely get her to pause long enough for a photo! This industrious little power house also has plans for filling the greenhouse outside the Garden Room Café with flowers and plants.

But digging in the flower beds is not her only passion. After living in Arizona where she got her degree in both anthropology and archeology, she spent time in Belize poking amid the ruins of Mayan temples (among other places), and absolutely loved it.

It was the proximity to Canada that brought Virginia to San Juan Island. Like many people, she looked at a map, saw how close the islands were, and decided this is where she’d like to be. Just like that! She sold all her antique furniture, gave things away, took care of “all the paperwork,” and took off, pausing for a 3-month visit in Australia before landing on the island. Of her drastic change in lifestyle, Virginia says, “It felt wonderful getting “lightened; it’s less responsibility, less to deal with. You can’t take all that junk with you.” Please join us in welcoming Virginia to the island.

Italian Grain Pie

Makes 8 Servings

Filling:

½ cup Wheat berries

5 Large eggs

½ cup Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

1½ lbs Ricotta

1 Large egg white

1 tsp grated orange zest or orange flower water

Crust:

1 cup Flour

¼ cup Sugar

½ tsp Baking powder

Pinch Finely ground sea salt

1/8 lb Unsalted European style butter, sliced into 1 Tbsp pieces

1 tsp Vanilla

1 Large egg

1 egg white

Confectioners’ sugar

1. Place the wheat berries in a bowl; add cold water to cover two inches above berries; soak overnight.
2. Drain and rinse wheat berries. Place in saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat; turn heat to medium, cover, and cook until chewy-tender, about 1 hour, 10 minutes. Drain and allow to cool.
3. Prepare pie crust while wheat berries are cooking. Mix together dry ingredients. Place dry ingredients and butter in food processor. Pulse until mixture has a coarse texture.
4. Add vanilla and whole egg; pulse until the dough comes off side of the bowl and forms a ball.
5. Form two discs, one using 2/3 of the dough and the second 1/3 of the dough. Each should be about 3 inches in diameter. Cover in plastic and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
6. Let dough soften for a few minutes before rolling out. Roll out both crusts between sheets or plastic or parchment into a circle a few inches larger than base of the pan. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Fit the thicker crust in bottom of 8” round or pie pan. Place in freezer while preparing top crust. Roll out second crust and cut into 6-8 strips for making lattice top. Refrigerate while making filling.
7. Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Mix in ricotta cheese, blending thoroughly. Do not over mix.
8. Add drained wheat berries and mix until incorporated. Pour into prepared pie crust. Use pastry strips to weave decorative lattice top. Brush top with egg white.
9. Bake for 1 hour. If pie is not set, lower heat to 325°F degrees and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Pie will giggle slightly in the center, but outer edges of top should be set. The pie will continue to set as it cools.
10. Cool on a wire rack, then refrigerate overnight. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Note:  The crust can be rather sticky, so make sure that it is well chilled before cutting the lattice. Do not hesitate to put it back in the refrigerator to make it easier to work with. The cake will keep, refrigerated, for up to a week.

This traditional Sicilian dessert, typically served around Easter time, is a recipe from one of my Mom’s friends, Nanette. Our inn guests often see this on the breakfast table in the Spring.

Lizzie Lawson

With 17 rooms, suites and cottages in historic wooden buildings, we have to pick and choose which accommodations will get a “face lift” each winter. This year it’s our rugged little Log Cabin. By the time we’re finished, it will be wearing a new roof, walls, shower, wainscoting, paint, and a new name, Lizzie’s Cottage.

Lizzie Lawson with Her Dog Sanko. Photo Courtesy of San Juan Historical Museum

Lizzie Lawson was a pioneering farm woman on the island, and though this of course is not her original cottage, it was built in the same era. Born August 1, 1879, Lizzie was the second youngest in a large family who farmed the land on False Bay Road near Eagle Point. If you tour the island and see that distinctive barn, you’re viewing the handiwork of Lizzie’s father, Peter, who was told “that barn will never stand” when he built it in 1876. It appears Lizzie inherited her father’s smart, stubborn, and independent traits, as well as land, because though she never married, she had an aptitude for farming and continued to manage the farm operation on the family land after her father passed away and her brothers moved to establish other homesteads on the island.

The main products on Lizzie’s farm were hay, potatoes and sheep, which were sheared for off-island wool buyers or sold to buyers who came to the island to buy lambs “on the hoof” to take to the mainland for processing. In addition, the lower portion of the farm, at a small bay just north of Eagle Point, was rented out as Fish Camps, creating virtual tent cities where fishermen and their families lived in the summer months to take advantage of the bounteous catch.

Haying on the Lawson Farm - That's Lizzie in the Center with the Large Hat. Photo Courtesy of San Juan Historical Museum

Neat and tidy – both in personal appearance and the way she kept her home – she always wore a dress and apron, even when working the fields. It was common for neighbors to see her up on a ladder washing windows and painting her house well into her eighties. Lizzie was a fun-living, independent spirit who was known as a good cook and enjoyed entertaining, but she especially loved going to the County Fair each year. She usually would bring three or four sheep to show, transporting them in her car, a Liberty convertible! Can’t you just image that sight?

Etta Lightheart (Egeland) and Her Aunt, Lizzie Lawson, Doing Laundry. Photo Courtesy of San Juan Historical Museum

Lizzie’s family was one of the few with a brand new contraption – a Brownie camera – and they apparently loved to take pictures. The San Juan Historical Museum is fortunate to have over 4,000 images in their collection of families and island life, many of them captured by the Lawsons with their Brownie. Through those images, we see Lizzie as a beautiful young woman – tall, slender, and proud; we see her hard at work – strong and commanding; and we see her as a happy, aging aunt with her niece, Etta Egeland, the woman who became an island legend and founded the San Juan Historical Museum. In her later years, Lizzie moved to Argyle Street, just a few blocks up from the Inns, and finally passed away at the age of 88 in February of 1968.

For a simple, strong life, we dedicate our sturdy little centenarian cabin to Lizzie.

Our thanks to Kevin Loftus, Director of the San Juan Historical Museum for his contributions to this article.

Lizzie on the Right at Age 17. Photo Courtesy of San Juan Historical Museum

Lizzie on the Far Right In Her Later Years. Photo Courtesy of San Juan Historical Museum.

Tuscan Bean Soup

Makes 8 as a Starter, 6 as an Entree

1½ cup dried borlotti, cranberry, red kidney, pinto or white beans (or any combination of beans)

3 quarts cold water

3 large Idaho baking Potatoes, peeled, cut into ½” dice

2 springs fresh rosemary

2 fresh or dried bay leaves

1½ tsp peperoncino (crushed red pepper)

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium-sized onion, chopped

1 recipe Trito (see recipe below)

1 cup canned peeled Italian plum tomatoes, crushed

½ pound ham hocks, pig’s foot, or fresh/smoked port butt

1 cup ditalini pasta

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1. Place the beans in a deep bowl and pour in enough cold water to cover them by at least 4 inches. Soak the beans in a cool place for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
2. Drain the beans and transfer them to a deep, heavy 4-6 quart pot.  Add water, potatoes, rosemary, bay leaves, and peperoncino; bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
3. Heat olive oil in a medium-size skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook to golden brown, stirring often, about 6 minutes.
4. Add trito and stir until browned, about 2 minutes.  Add crushed tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Pour mixture into large soup pot.  If using ham hocks, add them now.  Continue simmering over medium heat until the beans are tender, about 1 hour.  If using port butt, add it 30 minutes after adding the trito mixture.
6. Transfer a portion of the cooked soup base to a bowl; mash coarsely and return to soup pot.  (The soup can be prepared to this point up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated.  Bring the soup to a boil before continuing. )
7. Stir in the pasta. Cook, stirring often, until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.
8. Remove the meat from the pot while the pasta is cooking. Shred meat into bite-size pieces and return to the soup pot.
9. Remove soup from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Let stand for 5 minutes. then ladle into warm bowls; sprinkle with grated cheese.

Trito

Makes 3/4 cup

4 cloves garlic, peeled

½ cup shredded carrots

½ cup lightly packed chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon extra if storing

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until very smooth.  Stop the machine once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
2. Transfer the trito to  a small bowl and smooth the surface.  To store drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over the surface, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.

This is another great Italian soup.  I have shared the recipe with several friends who have showcased it as part of their holiday buffet. Traditionally, we toast some day-old bread and put it at the bottom of the soup bowl before ladling the soup in, or serve it along side to scoop up all good, thick beans.

Island News – February and March 2012

“Glocalisation” is the growing trend of dealing with big global problems through small, individual actions – something that every one of us can do. Vacation travel which includes volunteering for a charitable cause, called “Voluntourism,” is perfect for travelers who want to make a positive change in the world, yet still enjoy a relaxing experience. If you’d like to do a little voluntourism during your holiday, mark your calendar for Saturday, April 21^st, and plan to lend your hand in the Great Island Clean-Up. This is a major part of the island’s annual celebration of Earth Day, beginning with a good Spring cleaning of all beaches and roadsides. Participants in the Earth Day clean-up will receive “special treatment” from island businesses, including discounts at Tucker House Inn, Harrison House Suites, and Coho Restaurant. Think of this as a part of the World cleanup 2012 campaign, started by Rainer Nolvak (co-founder of Skype); this year’s goal is to mobilize 300 million people to pick up 100 million tones of illegally dumped waste in six months. Read more on this on The Economist.

Miss Representation, an award-winning documentary, was screened at the public to a standing-room only crowd on Super Bowl Sunday. Hosted by our Guest Services Coordinator Stephanie Prima-Sarantopulos and Julie Hagn, a senior at Spring Street International School in Friday Harbor, this powerful film exposes how the media plays a huge role in the downgrading and objectification of women, and the consequences to our youth, our culture, and our politics. With the enthusiastic feedback, future screenings are in the works, as well as targeted sessions in the local schools. For a screening in your area, or more information on bringing this important film, check out the Miss Representation website.

Voice of the Orcas: Orcas cannot speak – at least not to us in our own language.

Photo Courtesy of Voice of the Orcas

Now there’s a new website up which is devoted to speaking up for them. Voice of the Orcas was created by professionals and former marine mammal trainer who share a common philosophy. From their work at amusements parks, they all experienced a change of heart regarding the captivity of whales and dolphins.

The site gives you the true, behind-the-scenes story. Go to https://sites.google.com/site/voiceoftheorcas/home to read more.

Earth Hour: Saturday, March 31^st at 8:30 pm is the date that hundreds of millions of people around the globe will turn off their non-essential lights for one hour. This campaign, designed to raise awareness on sustainability and the environmental challenges we face, started in the city of Sydney in 2007, and has been growing every since. Last year, over 1.8 billion people, including citizens from Friday Harbor and from over 5,000 cities and towns in 135 countries and territories across every continent participated. Will you join us this year? For more information contact Katy Fenn at 202-495-4624 or visit worldwildlife.org/earthhour for participation guides, tools and creative assets to share with your community, businesses, and city government.

Organic Seed Savers Workshop for Enthusiastic San Juan County Farmers

Island Authors Works Make Thoughtful Gifts

Readers and island lovers might enjoy a gift that brings both together – a book from a San Juan Island author.

Chocolate Rum Truffles

Makes 24 Servings

This recipe is quick and easy, and since the truffles will keep for at least three weeks (if you don’t eat them before), they are nice make-ahead treats.

Harrison House Suites Granola

We get so many requests for our house-made granola recipe, I thought it was time to post it again. We make buckets of this yummy treat each week, not only offering it at our breakfast table to guests, but also sending it out to our local San Juan Food Coop, and to previous guests who prefer to order it rather than taking time to make it. The procedure is simple, but it does take a bit of time and attention.

Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies

So many gluten-free baked goods are overly sweet.  These cookies are just lightly sweetened, and the delicate sweetness of the golden raisins really shines through. We usually under-bake our cookies just a tad, so the centers stay chewy.

Salted Caramel Mousse

Yield: 6 servings

At the inns, we occasionally host luncheon meetings or garden parties for community groups or guests. This ethereal dessert is an intriguing gustatory surprise that is becoming an oft requested favorite.

Innkeeper Plays with Abbey Road

Eleanor Rigby has special significance for Sally Browne.  The classic Beatles tune features a cello solo, and our summer-time innkeeper, Sally, was thrilled to play the solo in her first appearance with a rock/pop band last Saturday evening at the San Juan Community Theatre.

The Band was Abbey Road, a Beatles tribute band.  For their repeat appearance in Friday Harbor, they employed six islanders to sit in with them on stage.  Their drummer was flanked by locals playing sax, trumpet and flute, and on the opposite side, what the band director dubbed “the lonely heart strings” – two violins and Sally’s cello.

With barely more than an hour’s rehearsal, the ensemble plunged into the familiar tunes of that famous album, while audience members, dressed in tie-dyed ‘60’s garb and groovy glasses, jumped out of their seats and boogied all night.

Sally quips she’s been playing cello “since it was bigger than me,” which puts it about 4^th grade.  Her professional music career spans decades of performing chamber music and in string quartets in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as teaching private music instruction. Since moving on island, she founded the local Performing Arts Society and has been teaching cello to private students as a sideline.

But even with written charts, going from the intimate environment of chamber music to the electronic blast of pop was quite an adjustment for Sally.  It was disconcerting for her not to be able to hear the other musicians – and even herself, since she discovered after-the-fact that her monitor was not properly adjusted.  She noted the band members were very gracious and patient, and enjoyed the evening immensely, but “chamber music is my heart and soul.”

We hope we have the opportunity to hear Sally perform her to heart’s content soon.

Washington Cherries For Breakfast Desserts

From the keyboard of Stephanie Prima-Sarantopulos:

The first of the Washington cherry crops arrived last week – to the delight of Anna Maria and me.  We both sat with bowls of cherries in front of us, gorging like black bears on the glossy, merlot-colored fruit.  From our local co-op we obtained boxes of Tieton Cherries, a variety that is extraordinarily large in size, quite firm, and intriguingly sweet – not too much, not too little, but J-U-S-T right.

While I’ve been content simply eating them “straight” for dessert after dinner, Anna Maria has been busily transforming them into breakfast desserts for our guests.  Cherry Trifle,  Cherry Frangipane Tart (cherry with a creamy almond filling), Angel Food cake with a Brandied Cherry Sauce, Cherry Torte (a sweet pastry crust base topped with cherries and a rich browned butter filling with a touch of lemon zest), or a simple bowl full of berries have all made an appearance at the breakfast table.

At the restaurant, Chef Alphonsine simmers a Balsamic Cherry Compote for our house-smoked duck entrée, and Chef Paul will be making some desserts for the restaurant as well.  Maybe I can talk him into making a batch of cherry sorbet for me……or cherry amaretto ice cream……or chocolate cherry gelato…or our killer knock off of Cherry Garcia?….hummm….

Parking Pass Now Required for Lime Kiln State Park

Travel Alert: As of July 1, visitors wishing to park a vehicle in WA state parks and recreations lands will need to purchase a Discover Pass.  The fee is $10 for a one-day pass, or $30 annually.

Photo Courtesy of Lighthouse Friends.com

You will need this vehicle pass in order to visit Lime Kiln State Park on San Juan Island.  Be forewarned, failure to display the pass as required will result in a $99 penalty.

The passes can be purchased

Down South Eggs Benedict

Makes 4 Servings

Our chef Paul la Valley likes to get creative in the mornings. One day he came up with a Southern-style Eggs Benedict which he served with roasted new potatoes. It was really different, and guests enjoyed his new twist on an old favorite.

Keep Up the Great Island Cleanup

Now that we’re all spending more time outdoors with this glorious weather, let’s remember to keep up the momentum of the Great Island Clean-up. If you see litter along the road, it only takes a moment to pick it up. Pack your picnic meal in reusable containers. Bring your reusable shopping bags. Once you put your mind to it, you’ll find it’s easy to reduce, reuse, and recycle. And while we’re on the “R” words, let’s add “Respect” and a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T for our environment, our fellow islanders, and our visitors.

What to Do with Jerusalem Artichokes

They’re known as Jerusalem Artichokes, though some people call them sunroots or sunchokes or earth apples or (as in France) topinambur.  Most of us don’t call them anything because we can’t figure out what the heck to do with those gnarly-looking things, so why bother?