We are happy to announce that Benjamin D. of Oklahoma won the Grand Prize and will receive 8 free tickets to the opening day of the World Famous Pendleton Round-Up; including passes to the evening summer BBQ and the Happy Canyon Pageant and Dance!  We would like to take this opportunity to thank the good folks at the Pendleton Round – Up office for their generous ticket donation – without your support this contest could not happen.

Our two lucky consolation prize winners are Sandra D. of Oregon and Victoria D. of Washington – they will receive a Pendleton Barbecue Combination Gift Box Complements of Oregon Growers.

Thanks again to all that entered and congratulations, Benjamin, Sandra, and Victoria – Enjoy the prizes!

Stephanie Halici-Oregon Growers Customer Care & owner of Cupcake Gourmet by Stephanie

Honey Peach Cupcakes

Makes 12 Cupcakes

1 ½ cups flour

3/4 cups sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/5 sticks of butter, room temperature

¼ cup Oregon Growers’ Wildflower Honey

½ cup Oregon Growers’ Peach Jam

¾ cups whole milk

Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8oz package of cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick of butter, at room temperature

3 cups of powdered sugar, sifted

½ cup of Oregon Growers’ Wildflower Honey

Directions

For the cupcakes, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line 12 count muffin tin with cupcake liners. Sift the dry ingredients on a piece of parchment paper and set aside. In a stand up mixer, beat butter, sugar and the honey together for couple minutes until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, add one eggs at a time until incorporated. Alternate the dry mixture and the milk, beginning and ending the dry ingredients. Stop mixer as soon as it comes together, remove from mixer and fold in the peach jam. Fill each liner about 2/3 full then bake for a total of 18-20 minutes and don’t forget to rotate half way through! Remove when you insert a tooth pick in the center and comes out clean, transfer to cooling rack.

For the frosting, beat cream cheese, butter and honey until smooth. Slowly add sifted powdered sugar until all incorporated and smooth, add a little more sugar if not thick enough. Frost cooled cupcakes and top with slices of fresh peaches or edible wildflowers!

The perfect Party Starter!

Ingredients

3 pounds skinned and boned chicken breasts
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion power

¾ teaspoon dried parsley flakes

½ teaspoon Paprika
2 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup Pendleton Mesquite Barbecue Sauce
2 large eggs
Vegetable oil

Preparation

Slice each chicken breast into 3 x 1 inch strips, and set aside. Combine flour, salt, pepper and other spices (including dried parsley) in a large shallow dish. Whisk together buttermilk, 3/4 cup Pendleton Mesquite Barbecue Sauce and eggs in a bowl. Dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture, dip in buttermilk mixture, and dredge again in flour mixture. Pour oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches in a deep skillet, heat to 360 degrees (a oil thermometer is helpful). Fry chicken, in batches of 4-6 pieces, 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on wire racks over paper towels, season with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Serve with plenty of extra Pendleton Barbecue Sauce for dipping.

In honor of the 100^th edition of the World Famous Pendleton Round– Up, Oregon Growers & Shippers and Pendleton Barbecue Sauce is pleased to announce our 2010 Summer Raffle.  Up for grabs are three fantastic prizes!

Grand Prize:

The Grand Prize winner will be awarded one Family plan pass (up to eight tickets) for the opening day of the 2010 Round-Up taking place on September 15^th.  Passes include free access to the stadium’s West Reserve seating area, western barbeque in Roy Raley Park, and free tickets for the 2010 Happy Canyon Indian Pageant (rows 10-22).  The rodeo begins daily at 1:15 PM and the pageant begins at 7:45 PM.

Tickets complements of the Pendleton Round-Up Association

For more information about the Round-Up click HERE

Consolation Prize (2):

Two lucky winners will be awarded a Pendleton Barbeque Sauce Combo Gift Box complements of Oregon Growers.

There is NO PURCHASE necessary!  Simply click on the picture below to enter.

Please check back frequently for updates and more information.

Good Luck!

Here is a super simple, but delicious way to kick up your next BBQ.  Try adding delicious “Barbecued” onions to grilled brats or burgers!

Ingredients:

Makes 2-3 cups

4-5 large Red Onions – Peeled and julienned (use yellow or sweet onions if you prefer)

2-3 Tbls Vegetable Oil

1 sprig fresh Thyme – picked

4 Tbls Pendleton Original Barbecue Sauce

1 Tbl Butter

1 shot Pendleton Whisky

Salt and pepper to taste

Here’s what to do:

Place julienned onions in a large sauté pan with the vegetable oil and sauté gently over medium heat for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally  until nicely caramelized (be careful not to burn them).  Off the heat add one shot of Pendleton Whisky to the pan (watch out for flames!) return to heat and deglaze – reduce liquid for one minute.  Add salt, pepper , thyme and BBQ sauce – simmer for 2-3 minutes.  Melt in butter and set aside to cool.

Serve on top of grilled brats or burgers! Enjoy!

 -Stephanie Halici with Oregon Growers

Strawberry Hazelnut Cheesecake

2 8oz packages cream cheese, room temperature

3 Eggs

1-14oz can of condensed milk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Oregon Growers’ Strawberry Jam

Crust

1 1/2 cups of graham crackers (about 1/2 the box)

1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts

1/2 stick melted butter

1/4 cup of sugar

3/4 cup Oregon Growers’ Dry Roasted Hazelnuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse the graham crackers and hazelnuts in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add sugar and melted butter, mix with your hands until evenly coated. Put crust mixture into your spring form pan lightly coated with a non stick spray, press crust into the pan and up an inch or so on the sides. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, just until it starts to look slightly more golden. Let cool.

In a stand up mixer, blend the soften cream cheese and whole can of condensed milk and blend until very smooth. Add sugar, pinch of salt, and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time scraping down the sides in between.

Add your cream cheese mixture to cooled crust, smoothing out the top. In a small bowl, stir to loosen up 1/2 -3/4 cups of Oregon Growers’ Strawberry Jam.  Spoon dollops of the jam around the batter and with a knife swirl the jam around the cheesecake to make a swirled designed.

 Bake for 45 minutes, until the middle of the cheesecake is set up. Let completely cool at room temperature for at least an hour, then refrigerate for at least another 4 hours. It also can be made the day before!

You can find The Oregonian, The Hot Hood and more at PB&J’s food cart on the corner of 23^rd Street and Kearney in NW Portland.

Walking through the crowded “streets” of Portland’s Farmers Market, it’s easy to spot Market Gourmet on any given Saturday among the other great local vendor booths. Also known as “The Tart Lady” you’ll be able to spot Monica Halici’s booth by the long line of patient customers, the scent of freshly baked french inspired delicacies and also by her signature pink market tent. Once it’s your turn to order, you’ll find difficultly deciding on which savory tart flavor to purchase, choices like Mushroom Spinach Gorgonzola or Potato Rosemary Caramelized Onion? Or which sweet treats you will indulge in, the Oregonian’s choice for the 2008 Best Bite Brownie category, or her Pear Almond Frangipane Tart? Decisions, decisions!

Marionberry Rugelach

 Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2-pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 9 tablespoons
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 jar of Oregon Growers & Shippers Marionberry Jam
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, for egg wash

Directions

• Cream the cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light.
• Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the salt, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and mix until just combined.
• Dump the dough out onto a well-floured board and roll it into a ball. Cut the ball in quarters, and wrap each piece in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• To make the filling, combine 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
• On a well-floured board, roll each ball of dough flat into a 9-inch circle.
• Spread the dough with 2 tablespoons of Oregon Growers & Shippers Marionberry  Jam and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the filling.
• Press the filling lightly into the dough. Cut the circle into 12 equal wedges–cutting the whole circle in quarters, then each quarter into thirds.
• Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge. Place the cookies, points tucked under, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Brush each cookie with the egg wash. Combine 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on the cookies.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack and let cool.

Mark Nilsson is a bit of an iconic fixture here in Hood River, OR. Walk down almost any street and you’ll see a Nilsson mural for a local restaurant, a Nilsson contribution for a local school or a Nilsson glass mosaic.

On a recent trip to La Ventana Baja the room in the house where we vacationed had 3 Nilsson paintings of gorgeous palms found throughout Mexico reminiscent of all the great attributes of the palm tree; how the fronds sway gently in the breeze, how happy we are when we’re on vacation, how lovely a pina colada tastes when you’re drinking it somewhere warm.

Mark has a gift for taking his whimsical, lyrical painting style and connecting it to a thought or experience or, in our case, a brand.

Mark was commissioned to create the custom look and feel of the Oregon Growers product packaging and after just one round, created a lovely homage to the Oregon Growers mission. His designs beautifully illustrate the marriage of local fruits with our special recipes to create our jams, fruit butters and sauces.

Though you’ll see Mark’s unique style on the small 4 x 4 inch paintings he dedicates to his many philanthropic causes and even on a box of Kimberly-Clark Kleenex, we love that you’ll see Mark’s work on Oregon Growers packages from our gourmet chutneys  to our heavenly jams . 

-Lisa Williams

Makes 6 to 8 shortcakes

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

3 tablespoons sugar

1 stick of cold butter, cut into small pieces

½ cup chilled heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup Oregon Growers Peach Preserves, plus extra for the strawberries

Pinch of salt

Fresh local strawberries, cleaned and hulled

Fresh whipped cream 

Directions

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Add the cut pieces of the cold butter, and give it a toss. Working quickly using your finger tips, rub the butter until it breaks down into small pieces, your dough look like pebbly, pea sized pieces.

 Whisk the peach preserves and vanilla into the cream until combined. Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients, turn the ingredients with a fork until you have a very soft dough. With your hands kneed the dough a couple times just until everything is combined, it will look a little loose and sticky but that’s ok!

On a prepared baking sheet lines with wax or parchment paper (also a light coat of non stick baking spray) form about 1/3 cup of batter into mounds, about 1 inch high. Bake for around 14-16 minutes in a preheated oven at 400 degrees, rotating your pan half way through. They should be slightly golden and but still soft to the touch. Remove and transfer to a cooling rack.

Slice hulled strawberries in quarters, place in a bowl and add a big spoonful of Oregon Growers Peach Preserves. Toss lightly to coat, and let stand for at least a few minutes before serving. Refrigerate until time to prepare. 

Slice your shortcake in half horizontally, add a couple spoonfuls of strawberries and their juices as well as a heaping dollop of fresh whipped cream! Shortcakes are best served warm or soon after coming out of them oven. Enjoy!