The Culinary Tourist: Cranberry Coast Gives up its Secrets

Not far from the coffee capital of America, the main ingredient for my favorite biscotti bobs to the surface en masse, and I know it’s time for the annual Cranberry Festival in Grayland, Wash. Cape Cod gets all the press, but more than 230 cranberry farms dot the Pacific coast from British Columbia to Oregon, and 30 percent of them are in a little corner of southwest Washington.

Finnish farmers started these bogs 150 years ago after the Native Americans showed them how to do it, and they are something to see. If you missed the Cranberry Festival October 14-15, with its bog jog, cranberry cookoff, and firelight parade, you can still catch the end of the harvest, which runs through the end of October, National Cranberry Month.

Visit the Furford Cranberry Museum where curator Bill Ripley, will gladly give you a tour and a lively history of the area’s cranberry bogs and farm families. Inside you’ll find antique harvesting machines, including the one invented by Julius Furford, for whom the museum is named.  Call ahead to make sure the museum is open, 360-267-3303 or 360-267-5403. The museum is located at 2395 State Highway 105, which winds its way through a dozen sleepy little towns all the way to Oregon.

Sample creamy cranberry fudge at Grandma’s Treasure Chest and pick up some hand-made tole-painted gifts at the Cran-Barrel Tole & Gift Shop, both on State Highway 105. Continue along the same road to The Rose Cottage, one of Grayland’s oldest homes, which is open for tours.

Other Attractions worth seeing if you’re not in a hurry:

World Kite Museum in Long Beach.
Open Friday through Monday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., October through April; daily in the summer season. Modest admission fee.
An hour-and-a-half south of Grayland and about 20 miles north of the Oregon border, the point where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean.

Willapa National Wildlife Refuge
Located on the tip of the Long Beach Peninsula on the shores of Willapa Bay near the Pacific Ocean. The Salmon Art Interpretive Trail is a beautiful trail with interpretive art produced by college students.

For information on where to stay, call the Cranberry Coast Chamber of Commerce 1-800-473-6018

Photos courtesy of the Cranberry Institute

And Now ...
Maggie’s Secret Recipe for Cranberry Orange Biscotti
Direct from the Pacific Northwest, the land of great coffee!

8 ounces dried cranberries or craisins
¾ cup sugar
½ cup oil
2 eggs
 grate of one small orange
1 ¼ teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup sliced or slivered almonds
2 cups flour (or as much as ½ C more, enough to make a stiff batter)
1 egg white
sugar for sprinkling on top

Pre-heat oven to 375. Butter and flour a large baking sheet.

Soak dried crannies in hot water while making batter.

In a large bowl, mix the remaining ingredients together except the egg white and sugar for sprinkling.  Drain cranberries and pat them dry with a paper towel. Add the cranberries to the batter.

Roll out the dough on a floured board, separating in two.  Add more flour as needed until the dough is workable and not sticky.

Make two rolls or “logs” 2 ½ inches wide and about 1 ½ inches high.  Brush the rolls with egg white and sprinkle with sugar.  Place the rolls on the buttered baking sheet, at least two inches apart. Bake for 24-28 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove from oven.  Let rest for 10-12 minutes.  This step is very important so logs won’t break.  With a spatula, carefully transfer the logs to a work surface. Using a serrated knife slice on the diagonal into slices ¾  inch thick. Arrange the slices cut side down on the baking sheet.  Return to oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until just golden.

Allow to cool. Store in sealed bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.
Enjoy them with coffee, tea, wine, or all by themselves! 

A quick search on gather yields a veritable cookbook of cranberry recipes this year. Give it a try!

And if you’d like a first-hand look at how cranberries are harvested with the wet-picking method, travel back to Massachusetts for Elizabeth’s photo essay.

The Culinary Tourist appears twice a month in Gather Essentials: Travel. Explore all 50 states with award-winning documentary producer Lisa Gensheimer as she discovers the fun, food and people she meets along the way. Whether you're visiting the home of a faraway friend, stopping for directions at a roadside market, or on holiday in an exotic location, richly layered experiences await. Read more about Lisa's work at Main Street Media. Click here to read more of her stories and to join Lisa's Gather network.