Willamette Valley Life - Spring 2010

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The Willamette Valley’s Premier Lifestyle Quarterly

Spring 2010/Issue 2 www.willamettevalleylife.com

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Valley Place Names It’s all in how you look at it Page 11

Truffle Infatuation in the Valley Page 12

Special Memorial Day Supplement:

Willamette Valley Wine Event Page 7

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Willamette Valley Life • Spring 2010

You say Will-uh-met, I say Will-am-it I

think place names are fascinating. I love the history behind them, and I like the challenge of using the correct local pronunciation. Back in our home town of Austin, Texas, there are quite a few street and place names where we would know right off if you were new to the area or not.

We lived off a street called Manchaca. If you were a local good ol’ boy, you knew that the correct pronunciation (at least to us) was “Man-Shack.” If you used the actual (probably correct) way to pronounce it - “Mon-Shaca,” well then, you were probably a Yankee.

When my wife and I first moved to the Willamette Valley six years ago, I mistakenly pronounced Willamette as “Will-uh-met.” I distinctly remember the look that the long time Valley resident gave me when I said it. I think I probably gave the same look back in Texas a time or two to some unsuspecting newcomer. Now I know how an outsider feels.

In this issue, Willamette Valley writer Loren Depping gives the newcomer and the resident alike a fascinating look into the history of various place names around the valley. Places with exotic sounding names like Champoeg (Shampooey!) and Molalla. I’m still having trouble pronouncing some of them.

Sarah Hawkins took a little trip to the town of Newberg recently, and she’s back to share some of the best spots to visit

when you are in town. You can read all about Newberg on page five.

Willamette Valley Life contributor, Geoff Parks talks truffles with Left Coast Cellars’ vineyard manager and wine maker, Luke McCollum, and discusses the vineyard owner’s commitment to sustainable agricultural practices and land use diversity.

Our local wine expert Ryan Reichert gives us a tour of the various wine regions here in the Valley that are putting Oregon Wines on the international map.

Also in this issue, Valley BBQ enthusiast Thom Richards extols the joys of grilling lamb, and we introduce our new dining review by super food sleuth Bon Mangez.

Finally, many thanks to all of you who called in or wrote to welcome our new publication to the Valley. The response to this little dream of ours has been extremely

PUBLISHERS/EDITORS Randy and Dawn Hill ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jessica Gardner ART DIRECTION Hill Design Studios CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Loren Depping

positive, and it appears that we are filling a need for a publication that covers life here in the beautiful Willamette Valley.

Sarah Horner Geoff Parks Ryan Reichert Thom Richards

PHONE 503.507.1228

Randy Hill Publisher

MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 17264, Salem, Oregon 97305

“I picked up one of your papers this morning and have enjoyed it completely. I will be taking it home tonight to read the story about A.C. Gilbert. I just wanted to tell you ‘Thank You’ for this paper. It is just full of wonderful and interesting things about the best place in the world, the Willamette Valley...”

–Tami Bruce

EMAIL: publisher@willamettevalleylife.com Copyright 2010 by Willamette Valley LIfe Magazine ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited.

www.willamettevalleylife.com

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A Different Kind Of Civil War You’ve heard about the great Civil War. No, we’re not talking about the Ducks and Beavers, but the War Between the States. There is no less interest in that historical time period, as witnessed by the many Civil War reenactments that are held throughout Oregon every year.

The Northwest Civil War Council (yes, there is a council!) will be holding a full reenactment of the Cheadle Lake Battle May 1-2 at Cheadle Lake Park in Lebanon.

Over 400 reenactors will present life within the Civil War in 1863. Concessions are available throughout the day. Cheadle Lake Park is just east of Lebanon off of Highway 20. From Lebanon, go east on Highway 20, pass the Wal-Mart and watch

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A Great Pairing: Wine and Jazz

PHOTO BY RANDY HILL

for signs. The park is on the left side. For more information visit www.nwcwc.org/ cheadlelake.

Schedule: 9am - Period camps open to the public; 11 and 3pm - Military battles.

Adults $6; Seniors and students age 6-18, $4; children under 6 are free.

If you like jazz music and wine, you’re in for the time of your life. The 4th Annual Silverton Wine and Jazz Festival kicks off on May 8 from noon until 9pm.

The yearly event celebrates fine Oregon wines of the Willamette Valley Wine Region with emphasis on East Valley wines and top Northwest jazz musicians. Sip wine and listen to jazz while you browse shops in Silverton’s historic district.

Over 50 musicians will perform, ranging from soloists to sextets, with a wide range of jazz styles. The Mel Brown B3 Quartet is this year’s closing act and is included in the price of the festival ticket.

For more information visit their website at www.silvertonwineandjazz.com.

World Beat Festival

PHOTO BY RANDY HILL

Have a Close Encounter

The 11th Annual UFO Festival in McMinnville, Oregon is set to land on May 14 and 15, 2010. The annual festival, hosted by McMenamins Hotel Oregon, celebrates the famous 1950 Trent sighting in which two Dayton, Oregon citizens witnessed and photographed a UFO, said to be some of the most credible images of UFOs to date.

This year’s festival welcomes keynote speaker and author James Clarkson, a well-known UFO investigator; U.K. crop circle expert Colin Andrews; and UFO witness and abductee Travis Walton, on whom the book and Hollywood film “Fire in the Sky” was based.

Passes are $10 per event, $15 for two events or $25 for all three events.

Also on tap this year is the annual UFO Costume Parade, Alien Pet Costume Contest and the Alien Costume Ball at Hotel Oregon. For more information on prices and scheduling visit www.ufofest.com.

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Willamette Valley Life • Spring 2010

Seattle-based Manooghi Hi will headline the 13th annual Salem World Beat Festival June 26 and 27 at Riverfront Park in Salem. The Festival announced that its cultural focus this year will explore “Bhutan: The Last Shangri-La.” A cultural delegation, traveling from Bhutan to Salem for the festival, will host exhibits and performances during the festival weekend and at various locations around Salem the week prior.

World Beat 2010 will feature a nonstop program of international music and dance with Manooghi Hi bringing their modern global sound to the Saturday evening program. The band is known for rock, soul and funk fusion blended with traditional Indian rhythms and instruments. The music echoes the journey of lead singer, Mumbai-born Mehnaz Hoosein, who became the first Indian artist to perform at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival as she fronted Manooghi Hi. The Saturday performance will close out with cultural fire dances.

Throughout the weekend, guests will be able to immerse themselves in the “Last Shangri-La” with various workshops, demonstrations and performances by the Bhutanese delegation. There will be lectures on the important cultural traditions of Bhutan; art and craft demonstrations by the Bhutanese Artisan Delegation; and a special performance by Lama Karma Namgyel, trained in the monastic tradition of the Drukpa Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.

The World Beat Festival includes 5 villages, allowing a curious traveler to tour the world. The festival’s program of international music, dance, food, and folklore bring the world to Oregon’s

capital city. Each village offers a relaxed atmosphere where guests of all ages can participate in a variety of hands-on cultural workshops, activities and crafts.

Three costumed processions, cooking demonstrations and Dragon Boat Races are also among the festival’s annual traditions that attract guests from near and far each year.

The festival will take place from 10 a.m.

-11 p.m., Saturday, June 26, and 10 a.m.– 6 p.m., Sunday, June 27, in Salem’s Riverfront Park. Admission is a $4 suggested donation. A portion of the proceeds benefit cultural programs at AC Gilbert’s Discovery Village and the Sprague High School Dance Program. For more information and to hear samples of the festival’s top bands visit: www.WorldBeatFestival.org or call (503) 581-2004.

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Dining The Painted Lady, located in a historic home on College Street, is one of the premier culinary destinations in the Willamette Valley. Zagat deemed it the top restaurant in Oregon in 2009, and both local and national publications sing its praises. Organic and local ingredients are the foundation of the innovative menu, and an impressive wine list pays tribute to the local bounty. The Jory restaurant, part of the newly opened Allison Inn and Spa, is situated on 35 acres of beautiful gardens and vineyards. The bar offers a small plate menu along with spirits, micro brews and more than 50 wines by the glass. In the dining room, savor dishes that celebrates the best of Oregon, and then enjoy the full service spa before retiring to your luxury hotel room.

photographs and mementos of Hoover’s boyhood.

Whether you love the outdoors, have an appreciation for fine dining and great wines, are a history buff or just love exploring the beauty and variety of the Willamette Valley, Newberg is a must-see destination.

Sarah Horner runs Hawkins Cellars, an award-winning boutique winery and is a freelance writer and photographer. A budding wine maker, her next venture is the launch of her own label. She is married with two teenage sons and loves all that life offers in the Willamette Valley.

Entertainment, Art and History PHOTOS BY SARAH HORNER

Destination: Newberg

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estled along the Willamette River at the foot of the Chehalem

mountains and surrounded by forests and farmland, Newberg’s unique location offers a wide variety of attractions and recreational activities. Just 25 miles southwest of Portland along Highway 99 West, Newberg makes an accessible day trip but with so much to offer, you could easily spend more time exploring.

The Willamette River Prefer waterways to highways? Newberg is home to Roger’s Landing, a popular spot on the Willamette with anglers, waterskiers, recreational boaters, kayakers and swimmers. The 3-lane boat launch and ample parking add to the appeal of this beautiful park. A few miles outside and further up-river, is historic Champoeg Park which offers miles of hiking and cycling trails, campsites, picnic spots, an amphitheater as well as historic buildings that document the area’s rich history.

How to get there...

From I-5: From the south, take the Donald/Aurora exit (278) north of Salem. Follow the signs to Newberg.

Wineries Newberg has origins with the Quakers and was a “dry” town for many years.

Ironically, the area is now home to thousands of acres of vineyards and numerous world class wineries. Within Newberg alone there are two distinctive AVA’s (American Viticulture Areas), Chehalem Mountain and Ribbon Ridge.

Sample fine wines at Rex Hill Winery, Chehalem, Bergstrom, Adelsheim, Arbor 6

Movie lovers can enjoy the latest flicks at the nostalgic 99 West Drive-In. Open seasonally since 1953, the traditional drivein theater is one of only four remaining drive-ins in Oregon.

The Newberg Art Walk is held the first Friday of every month and finds locals and visitors taking to the streets to enjoy art, food and regional wines. Participating businesses showcase local artists’ work, offer tasty nibbles and pour local wines for guests. This is a popular social event and a great way to appreciate the richness of the area.

In 1885, a nine-year-old Herbert Hoover moved to Newberg. His childhood home is now the Hoover-Minthorn museum which displays original furniture,

Brook and Penner Ash to name just a few.

Visit the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce website, www.chehalemvalley. org, for a handy guide to all of the area’s wineries.

Willamette Valley Life • Spring 2010

From the north, take the Tigard/ Newberg exit (294) shortly after leaving Portland city limits. Stay on 99W until you reach Newberg.

The Hoover-Minthorn house is located at 115 S. River Street, Newberg. It was the boyhood home of President Herbert Hoover, the 31st President of the United States, from 1885 to 1889.

Memorial Weekend in Wine Country May 29, 30, 31

Explore Willamette Valley area wineries and taste what the world is talking about!

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Memorial Weekend in Wine Country May 29 - 31, 2010

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Willamette Valley Life • Spring 2010

Map courtesy of Willamette Valley Wineries Association.

Visit their website at www. willamettewines.com where you can request a brochure that includes this map and details on all of the wineries, in addition to Where to Stay, Where to Eat, Tours & Adventures and Where to Go.

WildAire Cellars

honest chocs Emerson Vineyards

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Memorial Weekend in Wine Country May 29 - 31, 2010 Exploring The Wine Regions Within The Willamette Valley Chehalem Mountains

(31 wineries; 1,500 acres planted) This region is the most northern within the Willamette Valley. One of Oregon’s wine pioneers, Dick Erath, established his vineyards here, followed by others including the Adelsheim and Ponzi families. This area also contains the highest elevations and the greatest range of temperature in the valley. Vineyards are planted on volcanic basalt, marine sediment, and wind-blown silt soils. www. chehalemmountains.org

Dundee Hills

(25 wineries; 1,200 acres planted) David Lett first established The Eyrie Vineyard in this protected area of the valley. Surrounded by mountains and buffered by the valley floor, the region benefits from lower rainfall and less frost.

PHOTO BY RANDY HILL

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tretching from Portland to Eugene, the Willamette Valley is the largest American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Oregon. The AVA system works to identify regions with unique geographical features and distinguished characteristics. Wines listing an AVA on their label must contain no less than 85 percent fruit from that specific designation.

Pinot noir is the most notable grape variety in the Willamette, though there are a number of others that are becoming popular. Pinot gris, chardonnay, merlot and riesling are some of the top most planted varieties. Grapes thrive here due to the cooler climate, beneficial geographic features, and large range of soil types.

These factors are even more relevant in the six individual sub-AVAs. Here is some interesting information about these areas to consider as you explore their wines.

Dick Erath and the Sokol-Blosser family also started vineyards in this region.

In 1987, the world watched as Robert Drouhin of Burgundy fame bought land here. The terroir is rich with red volcanic soil, clay and loam and gives distinct minerality to the wines produced. www. dundeehills.org

Eola-Amity Hills

(30 wineries; 2,000 acres planted) Closest to the state capitol of Salem, this region has roots in the 1970s when Don Byard of Hidden Springs began his vineyard here. Eola is a name derived from Aeolus, the Greek god of the winds. This is appropriate as the location, due east of the Van Duzer Corridor, allows cooler Pacific airs to come in and lower temperatures in the humid summer months. This allows grape acidity to remain higher. Soil types include volcanic basalt and marine sediment with alluvial deposits, making for shallow, rocky and well-drained vineyard sites. www.eolaamityhills.com

McMinnville

(14 wineries; 750 acres planted) Due west of the region’s namesake town, this growing area has a rich history in agriculture. The college town of McMinnville is also host to the International Pinot Noir Celebration held every July since 1987. The area sits in the “rain shadow” of the Coastal Range, which keeps moisture low. Shallow alluvial soils blanket marine sediment and silt soil types. A number of producers, including The Eyrie Vineyards and Panther Creek, are part of a local trend, purchasing and refurbishing former granaries and nut processing plants, forming what is regarded as the “Urban Pinot Quarter.” www.mcminnvilleava.org

Ribbon Ridge

(8 wineries; 500 acres planted) The smallest AVA in Oregon, Ribbon Ridge is enveloped within the larger 10

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Chehalem Mountains region. Harry Peterson-Nedry of Ridgecrest Vineyards planted the first vines here in 1980.

Surrounding mountains shield this region resulting in a warmer climate, strong early growth, and long hang time for the fruit.

This allows for more complex flavor and color development. Soils are younger, more uniform, and are made up of Willakenzie series, primarily sedimentary.

Dry farming is extremely common for growers here, meaning no man-made irrigation is employed.

Yamhill-Carlton District

(30 wineries; 1,500 acres planted) A large horseshoe shaped growing region surrounds the towns of Yamhill and Carlton. Like McMinnville, a strong history of farming and logging has preceded in this region. In 1974, Pat and Joe Campbell formed Elk Cove Vineyards here, which produced the first commercially made wines. Lower acid wines with deep color are produced here, due to solid protection from the Coast Range, the Chehalem Mountains, and the Dundee Hills. www.yamhillcarltondistrict. com Visit www.oregonwine.org for more information and wine-travel ideas.

Ryan Reichert is originally from Northeast Ohio and recently relocated to the Willamette Valley to further his career in the wine industry.

He has received both his Intermediate and Advanced certifications from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust and is also a certified French wine enthusiast and Spanish Wine Educator.

Ryan strives to learn all he can about wine and to share his passion with everyone. You can read more of Ryan’s work at http://www.oeno-phile.com where he posts about many wine related topics.

WILLLAMETTE VALLEY PLACE NAMES

It’s All In How You Look At It

BY LOREN DEPPING

We may not stop to think about it on a daily basis, but names count for a lot in our lives. What noun can be said to exist before we acknowledge it by calling it something?

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rior to white settlers ever arriving in the Oregon Territory, the Native peoples of the Pacific Northwest had their own names for their own places (many of which remain intact—in whole or in part— today). What would become Oregon’s Willamette Valley was sparsely populated, particularly by bands of the Kalapuya (Calapooia) Tribe of Native Americans.

That would not remain the case, the transformation coming at a unique time in American history.

Following the Louisiana Purchase in late 1803, President Thomas Jefferson sent explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and their Corps of Discovery across that expansive acquisition. Their expedition reached the Pacific Ocean in 1805. Just over 30 years later, the first permanent white settlers arrived in Oregon, kicking off the period dubbed “The Great Migration” along the Oregon Trail, which lasted from 1843 to 1869.

They brought their personal and collective experiences with them, adding them to the long history recorded by the area’s Native residents.

This time period held events of great consequence to the country: the Industrial Revolution–a worldwide period of technological, economic and cultural upheaval–came to a close; Oregon became a state in 1859; the American Civil War began two short years later; slavery was outlawed; the nation lost a historic presidency to an assassin and the transcontinental railroad became a reality, crisscrossing the nation. And, of course, these events are just the beginning.

So, what’s in a name? Conflict.

Possession. Politics. Hopes.

Misunderstanding. Legitimacy. All across the United States—and around the world, for that matter—place names reveal us.

They are filled with who we are, who we were, where we’ve been, and that of which we dream. This is as true of the valley around us as it is the valleys of Ohio, China, or the moon.

Yet the place names of the Willamette Valley reflect something uniquely

coalesced, the unusual histories of our varied people interweaving with our varied geography. The name “Willamette” itself, for example, derives from a French pronunciation of the name of a Clackamas Indian village—an interpretation of selfdescription. Whether you reside here permanently or are simply spending some time locally, consider the following a primer to Willamette Valley place name origins—the colorful and the mundane.

>Sodaville This small Linn County town is named for a mineral spring first discovered in the late 1840s. The spring was said to have healing properties, which gave rise to a bath house constructed over it. The bath house was later removed.

Nearly 100 years after the spring’s discovery, the property above which it rests was designated a state park, but was subsequently given back to the city of Sodaville.

The spring continues on today at the base of the current Sodaville State Park.

>Champoeg Champoeg (champ-OO-ee) really isn’t a town at all, at least not anymore.

However, this popular state park is a reminder of a greatly significant town.

It was here, in 1843, that Oregon’s first provisional government was formed.

The origin of this site’s name is not known for certain. It may have come from the Kalapuyan native peoples.

Alternatively, Champoeg may have been a mispronunciation of the French Campment du Sable, meaning “sand camp.” A third claim exists that the name may borrow from both the Kalapuyan pooitch (an edible root) and the French champ (field). Finally, this place name may be a mispronunciation of champoo, a Native word for weed. Whatever the name’s genesis, the historic town was destroyed by flood in 1861.

>Molalla This Clackamas County town derives its name from the first Native people to populate that area, the Molalla Nation of Native Americans. The northern band of Molallas shared many similarities with the Kalapuyas, including hunting grounds, while the southern Molallas lived east of current-day Eugene and Roseburg in what is now the Umpqua National Forest.

>Woodburn In the 1880s, a controlled burn that got away provided the name for this city in north Marion County. The fire torched a woodlot following the completion of the nearby railroad line.

>Eola Head west on Highway 22 from Salem, and you’ll pass through the small community of Eola in Polk County.

It was named as such by the Oregon territorial legislature in 1856. The name itself appears to have come from

PHOTO BY RANDY HILL

Aeolus, the Greek god of the winds, though there exists some dispute as to who first suggested the name and why.

Needless to say, Eola does experience its share of windy days, situated as it is on the Willamette River’s west bank. As an aside, Eola was originally known as Cincinnati, given that title by Joshua “Sheep” Shaw (himself earning the moniker for being the first person acknowledged to have brought sheep into the Oregon territory) and his son, A.C.R. Shaw. The Shaws seem to have believed the future Eola bore a resemblance to the Ohio city. Thankfully, I don’t see it—no offense to Ohioans.

>Rickreall At the intersection of Highways 22 and 99W lies Rickreall, a comely farming community near the sprawling beauty of the Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge. According to several accounts, Rickreall was originally known as “Dixie” during the Civil War by some in the community with pro-Southern sentiments, though there has never been a town there with this official title. The name Rickreall was bestowed upon the post office in 1851, six years after the area was settled.

Discontinued in 1857, the post office again re-opened in 1866 with the same name.

>Dallas West of Rickreall in Polk County sits

the town of Dallas. Its namesake was George Mifflin Dallas, the vice-president to President James K. Polk during the late 1840s, the time during which the community received its name. Originally, the town was known by a more feminine title: either “Cynthian” or “Cynthia Anne.”

According to several explanations, this earlier name may have been in reference to a location in Kentucky, “Cynthiana.”

The town may also have been named after an early settler to the area, Cynthia Anne Applegate.

>Monmouth, Independence, Scio, Salem, Albany Numerous cities and towns throughout the United States are named after other cities and towns left behind (including Portland, which, as many Portlanders know, would have become “Boston” had a famous coin flip turned out differently).

These five towns similarly owe their names to eastern predecessors: Monmouth and Independence in Missouri; Scio, Ohio; Albany, New York; and Salem, Massachusetts.

Salem is intriguing due to its linguistic origins. Called Chim-i-ki-ti (or Chemeketa) by the first locals, the Kalapuyans, the town bore varied names over time. The word “Salem,” however, is believed to originate from the Arabic salam and the CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

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ALL PHOTOS BY GEOFF PARKS

Recent festival highlights valley’s growing truffle infatuation

Trees inoculated with Italian white truffle spores were planted on pond-side land at Left Coast Cellars. They were purchased by Bob Pfaff (left), owner of Left Coast, from Charles Lefevre’s (right) New World Truffiers of Eugene.

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epending on whom you talk to, a truffle is either a “strong-smelling underground fungus found with the aid of trained dogs or pigs” or a “soft candy made of chocolate and flavored with rum.”

Both descriptions are correct, though the former is an agricultural product finding more and more favor with Oregon’s niche market growers and gatherers, and the latter a sumptuous treat favored by, say, Valentine’s Day gift-givers.

Both types of truffles are being seen at a growing number of wineries in the central Willamette Valley—the agricultural product present to flavor and enhance recipes at open houses and other winery events, and the candy as a tempting treat to enjoy with the wine, food and conviviality of the tasting room.

The agricultural variety was the star attraction at the Oregon Truffle Festival held this past January in Eugene.

Truffle Festival-goers knew it was going to be a treat of a show when Charles Lefevre, who organized the educational part of the event, was overheard telling information-seekers to “look for the charismatic mycologists.”

The fifth annual festival was a threeday (Jan. 29-31) celebration of Oregon white and black truffles, items restaurant chefs call an “elusive delicacy” abundant in Oregon’s cool, wet forests, and that Ag entrepreneurs and, increasingly, local wineries call a market opportunity.

Truffle trees living on Truffle Hill might 12

sound like the title of a Dr. Seuss story, but for Luke McCollum, the trees on the hill represent yet another example of Left Coast Cellars’ commitment to sustainable agricultural practices, land use diversity— and good local wine and food.

McCollum, 33, of Salem, is the vineyard manager and winemaker for Left Coast, owned by Bob and Suzanne Pfaff. He said the farmland near Rickreall, Ore., that comprises Left Coast, has been planted with 99 acres of wine grapes, 82 of which currently are producing with pinot noir

Chef Jeffrey Parker shaves Oregon white truffles onto freshly cooked risotto in preparation for serving to participants in the second annual Oregon Truffle Festival.

Willamette Valley Life • Spring 2010

being the main varietal.

But a short drive around the property from the current winery building, past the “Latitude 45” and “Field of Dreams” vineyard blocks, leads to the “Truffle Hill” block, where the truffle trees live in harmony within their wine grape surroundings.

Bordered by black European Perigord truffle-inoculated shrub roses, holly oaks and hazelnut groves, Truffle Hill is planted in five acres of the Wadenswil grape variety and an acre of Pommard Pinot Noir.

“An increasing importance is being placed on the park-like nature of the property through expanded gardening and flowering areas…[and] the cultivation of four acres of European truffles,” Left Coast’s owners state in their marketing literature.

One hundred-fifty of the small hazelnut trees inoculated with black Perigord truffle spores were planted about four years ago in the patch of ground at the crest of Truffle Hill. Later, the shrub rose seedlings, holly oaks and hazelnut trees were inoculated with the same spores with the idea of someday producing the expensive and hard-to-obtain gourmet fungi.

“The basic premise was to create a kind of island on the property with a soil pH and weed-management plan that favors the truffles,” McCollum said. Perigord truffles thrive in low-acid soils not native to the area, so lime is added to get the correct pH medium for optimal growth.

“Truffles live best on the same kind of sites as Left Coast,” Lefevre said. He owns New World Truffieres in Eugene, which supplies Left Coast with the truffleinoculated plants.

“Left Coast has the perfect land for truffles,” he said.

Plans are to harvest the black Perigord truffles—and white Italian truffles soon to be grown in a similar way near the water sources they love—in a few years “as a welcome complement to our wine production,” McCollum said.

Future plans may include the planting of Douglas fir trees in another area of the farm. These trees will act as host trees for growing native Oregon white truffles as well as add another color to the Left Coast truffle palette, he said.

“Bob Pfaff has raised some eyebrows with what he has done in such a short amount of time at Left Coast,” Lefevre said, expressing that the truffle plantings are just one example of a “forwardlooking” agricultural-culinary vision for the property.

Pfaff has also expressed an interest in putting in some Burgundy and Bianchetto truffles, which would mean that Left Coast would at some point have truffles available all through the fall and spring.

“The truffle industry has a very bright future, especially in Oregon,” Lefevre said.

“Just as the Napa region of California now has name recognition for its wines, in time Oregon may become just as recognizable for its truffles.

“The principal reasons that truffles are not yet widely cultivated are that the technology to produce the inoculated trees is new, particularly in the U.S. and, like all forms of agriculture, truffle farming is not

Luke McCollum, winemaker and vineyard manager at Left Coast Cellars, prunes hazelnut saplings, which were planted with Perigord white truffle spores attached to the roots.

without risk,” Lefevre noted in a recent white paper on the subject. “Oregon alone currently produces substantial yields of native culinary truffles.”

He said truffle production, possible in a variety of soils and conditions, would support rural livelihoods in agriculture and forestry, as well as employment in research and education, harvesting and processing, and restaurant and retail food businesses.

“Truffles, both native and cultivated, will help to connect Oregon’s urban and rural communities through the food system, as they have for centuries in the cultural life and market systems of Europe [especially Italy and France],” he said.

Geoff Parks is a longtime resident of Salem who has been a writer and photographer since first being introduced to the journalistic world at the age of 13 at Waldo Junior High School’s student newspaper, the Waldo World. He has worked as a newspaper writer/photographer in Salem (the Statesman Journal, the Capital Press Ag Newspaper Newspaper, the Community Press, the Salem Monthly Monthly); in the Portland area (the Oregonian, the Beaverton Times, the Oregon Oregonian Business Journal Journal); in Eugene (the Eugene Register-Guard, the University of Oregon Register-Guard Daily Emerald Emerald), and for various magazines ((Northwest Travel, Business-2-Business, PC World World, Crop Protection Management Magazine Magazine).

Grilled Lamb:

Springtime is the perfect time Maybe a lone observation, but you don’t hear much about cooking lamb, especially in the barbecue world. All you hear about is beef, pork, poultry…not lamb.

I was asked by someone if I ever grilled lamb, and my answer was, “No, it’s really expensive where I live.” So, what did I decide to do? I went out and bought a four and a quarter pound “Genuine Australian Lamb Leg Roast.”

Now I must admit that $3.99 a pound for a lean cut of meat is not all that expensive when compared to the latest cost of Halibut. This is a first, grilling lamb on my BBQ grill.

But more importantly was finding a recipe that would work just as well in a conventional oven.

You will want to marinate the lamb to make it really flavorful. First, wash and place it in a food-safe marinating container or bag. Never marinate anything in aluminum. This great marinating recipe comes from a fellow foodie, Elise Bauer.

First, let me welcome you to our inaugural review from me, Bon Mangez, food critic at large. I will be scouring the Willamette Valley, tasting, sampling, and writing about the delicious morsels I discover (and even those vile tidbits we may come across along the way). The review sections cover Atmosphere, Food, and importantly, Hospitality, with a score, of sorts, next to each. Why such emphasis on hospitality, you ask?

We have a tendency to have expectations, to set standards but not follow through on the details. In this economy, perhaps we will see a change. A change for the better: where the quality of all improves in kind. Save hospitality, which should always be genuine regardless of the cost, location, or flavor.

On to the review!

Sushi Topia is a sushi-track style restaurant with both bar (track) and table seating. With a bright green interior, and colorful hanging lamps, this downtown Salem dining atmosphere was comfortable, but not stunning. A large LCD TV on the wall was playing Kung Fu Panda one visit and Lord of the Rings on another, so I wasn’t sure what they were trying to express about their location. Overall, the facilities were clean, save one space by the back door which was occupied with the dirty mop bucket and empty bottles of beer in boxes.

1/2 cup orange juice 1 cup white wine 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme 2 tablespoon of fresh chopped rosemary 1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper 2 tablespoon olive oil After blending the ingredients, add them to the marinating bag or container.

Marinate the lamb over night. Prior to grilling/cooking, sit the roast out for at least 30 minutes. Temperature on the grill or in the oven should be 325 degrees.

I coated the lamb with a little sea salt prior to grilling. If you cook the lamb in an oven, use a roasting pan filled with the marinating solution between the heat and the lamb roast to give the meat added moisture and flavor. This is a form of selfbasting.

If cooking on a gas or charcoal grill, use indirect heat. This means lighting only one side of the grill and allowing the temperature to get to 325 degrees. Place a water pan or a roasting pan filled with the marinade in between the heat and the roast, and then place in the middle of the grill. Leave the hood down, but check on the liquid constantly. If you run out of liquid, you will burn the roast. Add hot water to the marinade as needed.

Don’t overcook! Things should take about an hour and a half. You want an internal temperature of around 130 degrees. It should be served medium rare.

Wrap it in foil when done and let it sit out at least 30 minutes prior to serving. Will I be cooking lamb again? You betcha!

Pricing at Sushi Topia ranges from $1.25-$3.25 per plate with specialty items such as Udon Tempura ($3.50) and Spider Rolls ($7) were priced separately. What really made this location a value is their daily $1.50 per plate “Happy Hour” of sorts (running from 11a-3p). Dishes ranged from traditional sushi to Chinese food; appetizers such as spring rolls, sunomono (not tasty), and seaweed salad (tasty); and on my second visit, a slice of cheesecake that looked more like a candle than dessert. Pepsi products along with a sampling of beer, wine, and sake were available to drink.

Rice at Sushi Topia had a slightly more chewy texture than I normally enjoy, but it wasn’t undercooked. The fish was fresh tasting across the board (even the more pungent varieties, such as mackerel). While the tempura coating on dishes was light and crispy, its use with dishes such as the “Eel Fritter” (my name) was uninspiring. In general, I found the dishes coming around the track were all relatively the same, with the occasional delight passing by. A good effort, but could be improved upon with greater variety and tweaking of individual dishes.

The Sushi Topia team certainly met our expectations of hospitality during every visit. If a staff member did not know what the dish consisted of, they asked the chef. When I requested an item not currently found on the track, the sushi chef was quick to create a plate for me to sample with no hassles.

Thom Richards loves to barbecue and grill! He does it all year around, even when the Oregon weather is mean and nasty. You can reach him and/or get further information through his blog, “BBQ’ing Tips From Deep In The Heart Of Oregon” @ http:// barbecuegrillsplus.blogspot.com. Tweet Thom @ http://twitter.com/BarbecueGrills

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Hebrew shalom—both meaning “peace.”

The Middle Eastern city Jerusalem is also believed to have been known by the shorter “Salem.” Food for thought.

>Mt. Angel Mt. Angel is an English translation of the Germhan Engelberg. This area earlier went by the names Roy (no, Trailblazer fans, not in anticipation of Brandon Roy) and Fillmore, but neither stuck. In 1883, Benedictine monks from Engelberg, Switzerland established an abbey on Lone Butte. Around this same time, the area experienced an influx of German immigrants. When the town incorporated in 1893, Mt. Angel was how the community would be known.

Mt. Angel hosts Oregon’s largest folk festival each September, the Mt. Angel Oktoberfest. It was also the location of the only four-year Latino college in the United States, Colegio César Chávez.

A “college-without-walls” program, the school operated from 1973 through 1983.

When the college closed, its building and grounds were donated by a private buyer to the Benedictine sisters. The sisters now operate the building and its dormitories as St. Joseph Shelter.

>Sublimity Its land cleared by Native Americans during a large burn in the early 1800s, Sublimity’s name is credited to settler James Denny, who felt the area boasted a sublime view of its surroundings.

According to the town’s official web site, Sublimity was larger prior to the Civil War than it is today. When the war broke out, many residents returned to their former states to fight, leaving Sublimity greatly deflated. In the early 1870s, the town regained much of its population and returned to being an active farming community.

>Monitor Two stories about the origin of the name Monitor crop up over and over. The first is that this town at the northeastern tip of Marion County derives its name from a Civil War-era, iron-sided battleship, the USS Monitor. According to the book, Oregon Geographic Names, the first use of the name occurred in 1869, four years after the war concluded. Given the timing of the name’s appearance and the obvious interest in the war, even in a state far from the actual battles, this story is plausible.

A second explanation for the community’s name is that it comes from a type of flour mill not uncommon around the time the community formed, known as a “Monitor mill.” In fact, some historical documents and web sites even refer to the town itself as Monitor Mills.

credited to pioneer Joseph C. Avery, who, as the city’s web site explains, desired to “avoid confusion with Marysville, California” (http://www.ci.corvallis. or.us/index.php). This owes to the fact that, originally, the future seat of Benton County went by Marysville. According to the Corvallis Gazette Times newspaper, Marysville may have been in honor of one of two women: an early settler; or the Virgin Mary (for whom French trappers had named local “Mary’s Peak”). In either case, the Oregon legislative assembly provided the name change in 1853.

>Adair Village Located just north of Corvallis, Adair Village came into being in 1942 as a bustling World War II military installation, Camp Adair. Following the war’s end, the base was abandoned and many buildings were either moved or destroyed. Traveling through this town now, one can still spot a few remaining barracks and other original structures. The original fire station, for example, is now the AV Market and Pub.

>Sweet Home According to Linn County historical records, a mere four blocks comprised this timber town until 1878. Originally, two communities occupied a relatively short span of real estate in what was termed the “Sweet Home Valley.” The upper portion was called Buckhead (in honor of the Buckland Saloon), the lower area Mossville. As the two locations grew toward one another, they eventually combined in the 1880s to form one community, Sweet Home, which incorporated in 1893. By the 1940s, Sweet Home grew substantially due to demand for timber as World War II-era defense programs took off. Though the town has experienced cycles of economic and industrial growth and contraction ever since, Sweet Home has continued to expand geographically, having incorporated the community of Holley.

Though retaining its name and identity, the community of Foster is also served by its larger neighbor.

>Eugene Named after the city’s founder, Eugene Franklin Skinner. He has a butte named after him, too: Skinner Butte. A major thoroughfare bears his middle name. Not a bad haul for a guy whose community was originally dubbed “Skinner’s Mudhole.”

Seriously.

>Crow A beautiful farming community of rolling hills named not for a bird, but for early pioneers James Andrew Jackson Crow and Helen Fisk Crow.

>Corvallis

>Coburg

In Latin, cor vallis means “heart of the valley.” The conjuring up of this term is

The Lane County city of Coburg is a gem—figuratively, of course, but also

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Willamette Valley Life • Spring 2010

>Tangent

literally. Situated just outside Eugene, the community was originally known as “Diamond” in honor of early settler Johnny Diamond. This was soon to change, for the town was also home to a much-admired…horse. A stallion, in fact, brought to the United States from the Coburg region of Bavaria. The horse made such an impression on the local blacksmith that he renamed the community Coburg.

The animal must have outshone other prominent citizens because local residents accepted the name change and have ever since. Coburg was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1986.

And don’t feel too badly for Diamond; Oregon’s Diamond Lake and Diamond Peak are still named after him.

>Veneta We end with a birthday. First established in 1912 by Edmund Eugene Hunter, Veneta is named after his daughter, who was aged five at the time. Situated at the edge of the Willamette Valley, the town hosts the annual Oregon Country Fair, which reaches the venerable age of 40 this summer. Cheers!

Check It Out for Yourself Want to know more about the origin of a Willamette Valley community, past or present? Visit one of these resources: Dailey, C. (2005). Pioneer History—to about 1900: Churches of Christ and Christian Churches in the Pacific Northwest. Retrieved Mar. 7, 2010. Web site: http://ncbible.org/nwh/OrMarion. html#monitor.

Guardino, M. C. (2008). Benton County Place Names. Retrieved Mar. 7, 2010. Web site: http://ftp.wi.net/~census/lesson9.html.

Guardino, M. C. (2008). Polk County Place Names. Retrieved Mar. 5, 2010. Web

East of Corvallis lies the Linn County farming community, Tangent. The self-proclaimed “grass seed capital of the world,” Tangent’s name returns us once again to railways.

Tangent is named for a long, straight stretch of railroad track that crosses the area.

site: http://ftp.wi.net/~census/lesson5.html.

Hays, D. (Date unknown). Champoeg: A State Is Born, a Town Is Lost. Retrieved Mar. 6, 2010, from Salem StatesmanJournal, Salem, Oregon. Web site: http:// www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~orpionpr/ Champoeg.html.

Johnson, O. (1999). The Molalla: A Nation of Good Hunters. Retrieved Mar. 6, 2010, from Smoke Signals, Grand Ronde, OR. Web site: http://www.usgennet.org/ alhnorus/ahorclak/molallas.html.

McArthur, L. A., & McArthur, L. L. (1928, 2003).

Oregon Geographic Names. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press.

Oregon Historical Society. (2008). Oregon Geographic Names. Retrieved Mar. 5, 2010, from Oregon Historical Society, Portland, OR. Web site: http://www.ohs. org/research/oregon-geographic-namesboard.cfm.

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. (2010). State Parks. Retrieved Mar. 6, 2010, from Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, Salem, Oregon.

Web site: http://www.oregonstateparks.org/ park_113.php.

Various. (Date unknown). Linn County, Oregon, Historical Museum. Retrieved Mar. 7, 2010, from Linn County Historical Museum, Brownsville, OR. Web site: http:// www.co.linn.or.us/museum/.

Loren Depping Essayist and songwriter Loren Depping lives and writes in the Willamette Valley. He studies American Sign Language, walks avidly and is a fledgling pedal steel guitar player.

W I L L A ME T T E VA L L E Y P H O T O S

Erratic Rock State Natural Site Photo by John Gould, Feather River Photography

Located off Oregon 18, Erratic Rock State Natural Site is a state park located in the Willamette Valley near McMinnville in the Yamhill Valley portion of the valley. The rock is said to have come from Canada as a result of the pre-historic Missoula oods thousands of years ago. The site features views of the Oregon Coast Range and the valley, including vineyards and farms.

Have a photo that you have taken that you would like to share with our readers?

Send a hi-resolution (300 dpi) photo to publisher@willamettevalleylife.com.

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