Some trips are just trips. You go, you sightsee and you eat at a few local joints. Then there are the ones that leave a lasting mark. I knew early on that my time in Alaska would be special. It was on our second night in Cordova that we had the pleasure of being fed a home-cooked meal by the wife of a local fisherman (a meal, I must add, that included the best chowder I've ever consumed). While our host wined and dined us, we had a chance to talk to a roomful of locals, all of whom were both curious about who we were and who were also eager to answer any of our questions (and we had lots of them). It was as if we were being welcomed into a friend's house and, by the end of our time in Cordova, I did feel like I had made friends. A rare occurrence on any trip, let alone one organized by a marketing company. You'll get a lot more information (and photos) in a post I hope to share next week. But, for now, I'm just trying to digest the experience.
Marinated Feta and Tomatoes
Servings 8-10 servings as a side
Ingredients
1 lb feta, drained of liquid 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, quartered 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill Zest of one lemon Black Pepper 1/4 cup olive oil
1 baguette, sliced
Directions
1. Remove some of the outer liquid on the feta by patting it down with a paper towel. Cube feta and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add grape tomatoes. Mix in dill and lemon zest. Season with black pepper.
2. Add olive oil and gently toss to coat. Let sit for 1 hour before serving.
3. Serve on top of sliced baguette with some garlic scape and basil pesto (see recipe below)
Garlic Scape and Basil Pesto
Servings 8-10 servings as a side
Ingredients
6 large garlic scapes, coarsely chopped 1 cup basil leaves 1/3 cup olive oil 2 teaspoons lemon juice Kosher salt
Directions
1. Add the garlic scapes and basil leaves to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl.
2. Stir in the olive oil and lemon juice. Season with Kosher salt.
