My favorite recipes

Robin and Mark Saam (pronounced Sam) are recent arrivals in Colfax, moving here from Prosser. They grew up in San Luis Obispo, Calif., and both graduated from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, a well known agricultural college in California. She was pleased to learn that there are some other Cal Poly grads in this area.

After they married, they moved to a ranch in rural Nevada, 90 miles from Reno. The ranch had seven miles of dirt driveway. To use the telephone, they had to call a toll station and the operator placed the calls.

They found the it was very remote and very lonely; they lasted just a year.

Returning to San Luis Obispo, they also returned to college. Mark graduated in agribusiness management. Robin worked at a manufacturing facility that produced a product that was used to formulate high-end soaps and shampoos. She continued to work when she returned to Cal Poly to complete her food science degree. A week after graduation in 1990, their daughter Haley was born.

While Robin finished college, Mark worked on a ranch which produced barley and hay for cattle.

Their next move was to Toppenish to the reservation.

“What great people are there,” Robin remarked,

Mark managed a hop farm near Toppenish, and Nolan was born during hop harvest. Robin played women’s and coed soccer, and as a stay-at-home mother, enjoyed her children and stayed busy. When Haley and Nolan were on soccer teams, she coached them.

They moved to Prosser in 1997 and resided there for 16 years. Mark worked for the Washington State University research station there as the farm manager and facilities and maintenance manager.

She obtained a substitute teaching certificate and worked at Prosser and Paterson school districts. The children attended grade school in Paterson and high school at Prosser which had strong agriculture and football programs.

The Saams moved to Colfax right after daughter Haley graduated from WSU with a degree in agriculture. She is a research assistant with Pioneer Seed in Hermiston. Nolan is a civil engineering major at Gonzaga University and is in the Army ROTC there. The Saam’s bought a home that is near the century mark on Prune Orchard Road, which they are busy renovating and settling into. Getting acquainted in the area is a top priority.

Mark works at WSU for the Washington State Crop Improvement Association. He works with plant breeders, scientists, and farmers to produce improved seed for wheat, lentils and garbanzo beans.

Favorite places and activities include hiking on Kamiak Butte, running the Chipman Trail and Prune Orchard Road (the latter with dogs), trying out local restaurants, checking out nearby Moscow, visiting small town festivals and the downtown shops and getting to know their neighbors.

Robin is also starting to sew again with a group on Tuesdays at the Pullman Library. They are active in church, and Robin is a substitute Sunday school teacher.

The Saams family enjoys traveling. They have visited much of the United States, including Hawaii, and also Canada, Mexico, and England.

They loved England, the pubs, the cruise on the River Thames in London, the beautiful churches.

They found Christmas was very enjoyable and not nearly as commercialized as in the United States.

Next year, son Nolan plans to study at Gonzaga in Florence, and Robin and Haley plan to take advantage of the opportunity to visit Italy and the south of France. They hope Mark can accompany them, but if he cannot, they are still planning to go.

Robin enjoys cooking, and she will surely be taking notes while she travels.

Recipes:

Dungeness Crab Sandwiches

Dungeness crab, mainly legs

slices of avocado

tomato slices

red onion slices

alfalfa sprouts or lettuce leaves

mayonnaise

onion rolls or whole wheat bread

Layer sandwich ingredients on the onion roll or whole wheat bread and enjoy a California favorite.

Apple-Pecan Pancakes with Apple Spice Syrup

1 cup flour

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup milk (or buttermilk + 1/2 teaspoon soda)

2 eggs, separated; whites stiffly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup finely chopped apple

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Sift together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. To dry ingredients, add milk, egg yolks and vanilla. Fold in egg whites, apples, and pecans.

Drop 1/4 cup batter onto hot, lightly greased griddle.

Syrup

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon each: allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg

2 cups apple juice or cider

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and spices in a saucepan. Add juice and heat until syrup boils and is slightly thickened.

Gumbo/Jambalaya

1 package (12-16 ounces) turkey Kielbasa or other spicy sausage

1 onion, diced

1 teaspoon butter

1 bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups chicken broth

1-2 cups water

1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 pound medium shrimp, cleaned, tails removed, and cooked

Saute together sausage, onion, bell pepper and garlic in the butter. Add broth, water, and spices. Cook and stir, allowing to thicken and for flavors to blend. Ten minutes before serving, stir in the shrimp and heat through.

Sieve the gumbo/jambalaya over rice.

Barbecued Tri-Tip Portuguese Style

There is a contingent of Portuguese people in the San Luis Obispo area, and these two recipes come from their cuisine.

Choose a beef tri-tip that hasn’t been sliced to half its normal thickness, so that there is a thick chunk of beef. Rub with salt and pepper on all sides, then sear on all sides on a hot grill. Turn to low and cook till done the way you prefer. The rarer, the more tender.

Serve with—

Santa Maria Style Beans

Piquinto beans

diced onion

precooked sliced linguisa (Portuguese sausage. Chorizo might be a good replacement.)

canned tomatoes or skinned fresh tomatoes.

Combine above ingredients and simmer on low for 30 to 40 minutes. Serve with thin-sliced tri-tip hot from the grill.