Attention Wine Lovers! Portugese Steamed Clams

Tom and I are officially on a wine tasting DIET.  We are not allowed to go the wine country at all until we get back from Seattle in a few weeks.  I hate to confess how much wine tasting we have done in the past few weeks... 

We spent the 4th of July in Healdsburg, Calfornia.  It's a tiny California town with a  historical town square, surrounded by towering trees,  fabulous restaurants, wine tasting salons and unique art boutiques. The lush Alexander Valley borders on one side, and Dry Creek Valley stretches out on the other.  Has to be one of my favorite 4th of July memories - we even watched the fireworks at the local high school!

Our friends, Joel and Tracy came down for a few days,  and we had the best time exploring new (for us) wineries in the Dry Creek Valley. Wonderful (experienced) tour guides, Joel and Tracy  took us to all kinds of new tasting rooms and vineyards that we had never been to before.  Honestly, you could spend an entire year in the California Wine Country and never see or taste even a fraction of what is there to enjoy.

It was a gorgeous summer day, temperature hovering in the 80's, the vineyards were simply beautiful in the sunlight with their bright green leaves, vines dripping with baby green grapes.  We drove over through the valley with windows down, sunshine streaming in the sunroof while Fleetwood Mac played in the background.  

(do you get the idea that we had a good time? maybe too good??)

One of the loveliest wineries that we visited towards the end of the day was Passalacqua, on the Lambert Bridge Road.  Wide open views over the valley, and such luscious sculpted grounds with old-world fountains and blooming day lilies.

After sampling their new 2011 Sauvignon Blanc to our hearts content,  I spotted the "Wine Lover" cookbook - and knew that it had to go home with me!   It is packed with 211 pages of recipes, all containing the "Essential Ingredient" - wine.


Now which recipe to choose first?

I could not resist their spicy Portugese version of steamed clams!  We changed up a few of the ingredients, to make it ours and it turned out mouth-watering incredible. 

Ingredients: 
12 oz. chorizo sausage
1/4 cup olive oil
2 red onions, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1/2 t. red pepper flakes (or to your taste)
2 cups dry white wine - use good wine
3/4 fish or chicken stock (we used chicken)
3 cups canned tomatoes with juice 
3 oz. prosciutto, juliened
1/2 cup minced parsley (I like Italian parsley)
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
35-45 tiny Manila Clams
1 1/5 lbs prawns deveined, shells removed - I keep the tails on


Directions:
Cut the sausage into 1 chunks.  In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and saute' for 10 minutes, or until very soft.  Add the garlic, paprika and red pepper flakes and cook for 5 more minutes.  Stir in the wine, stock and tomatoes, prosciutto, the parsley, the bay leaves and the sausage.  Simmer until thickened.  Season with salt and pepper.


Bring the mixture to a low boil.  Add the clams and the prawns, cover the pan. Steam until the clams open and the prawns are a pretty pink, should be 7-10 minutes.  Discard any clams that do not open.


Serve with really good, fresh bread. We like to make crunchy "toasties" under the broiler  - a little butter, garlic and grated Parmesan (or whatever cheese we have in the frig!) - super easy, and looks impressive.  Perfect for dipping into your spicy seafood broth.

Must have?  A great white wine to go with!  We stumbled uponSeghesio in Healdsburg, and fell in love with their 2011 Arneis.   Have never had anything quite like it.  Perfect combination with our spicy Portuguese Clams and Prawns!

Oh... couldn't help it, we joined the Seghesio wine club, now we have an excuse to go back.  Darn.

*originally published on The Coastal Gourmet Blog

Glasses:  Our Stemless School of Fish Red Wine Tumblers - Set of 4 $44.95

Dinnerware: Beachcomber Collection - love these for their colors and shapes!  Bowls - set of 4 $56.95

Cannon Beach Boutique Shopping

We spent a few hours yesterday walking around Cannon Beach Oregon's cute shopping district.  Lots of t-shirts, gallery art, salt water taffy, ice cream and yummy treats at the Cannon Beach Bakery (more on this subject later!)  - not to mention highly entertaining people watching..

I am always on the hunt for "coastal decorating" boutiques. NOT boutiques full of plastic pirates, weird looking mermaids,  bags of shells from the Philippines, and a few beach towels.  Hate those.  So disappointing to find just another beach souvenir shop, packed full of "stuff" that you would never, ever put in your house.

Tucked a few steps back off of the main street at the end of a flagstone courtyard, surrounded by overflowing  blooming Pacific Northwest flowers, we discovered an inviting gem in Cannon Beach.  M. Smith Interiors


Chocked full of lovely Michael Aram treasures (some of my favorite coastal tabletop pieces!), soft hand knit cozy throws for stormy Oregon Coast weather, pretty blue and white ginger jars, and handcrafted local "driftwood" furniture pieces,  this store did a fabulous job of display and creating an elegant beach house atmosphere.  Surprisingly affordable beautiful home decor and tabletop in a "tourist" town.

I am surmising that this interior design studio really is trying to attract local home and second home owners on this stretch of the Oregon Coast, in addition to the throngs of seaside customers that flock to Cannon Beach.

Just have to show you all one of my favorite vignette corners in the boutique!  Love the combination of the neutral toned framed seashell art, white beaded coral pillows, coupled with the splash of nautical in the rope detailed cloche.  Especially admired the weathered-look buffet dressed up with mirrored doors, and the worn soft inviting leather wing back chairs.  Can't you just imagine curling up here with a good mystery novel on a tempestuous ocean night? (now to find some good Oregon Pinot Noir...)

Close up shot of the top of the buffet, with a simple mirrored tray and the roped cloche covering up a chunk of coral.  I might have used a big local shell under the glass instead of the coral to keep it more in line with the Oregon Coast.  What do you think?  

Have a great Sunday - we are off for more adventures in the Northwest all week!

M. Smith Interiors

219 North Hemlock

Cannon Beach, OR 97110

e-mail: marysmithint.@aol.com

Phone: 503-436-1908

Ah Ha! Another idea for Driftwood

Hi everyone! Just popping in for a minute, but had to show you these creative driftwood benches that we spotted yesterday in Pescadero at one of my favorite shopping haunts, Luna Sea.  This tiny shop housed in a vintage cottage on the main street in town, Sea is stocked full of interesting creative pieces from local artists in Northern California; paintings, hand blown glass, yard art and so much more!

I can't find a website for them - so sorry!  Here's a link to shopping in Pescadero that might be helpful though -http://www.pescadero-california.com/shopping/

 Trying to guess what the numbered board in the middle must have been. Any ideas?  

Like the old buoy accent on the side too! 

Same artist, with the twist of using an distressed painted red shutter and accenting the bench with big abalone shells, and a red and white buoy.

So wish I had a place for one of these!  Would pile them with coastal outdoor pillows, sit my hot chocolate mug on the driftwood arms, and enjoy a summer sunset while cuddling up with someone I love.

Have a great Monday!