Oregon’s Date of Statehood – February 14th, 1859
When I was kid in elementary school, my FAVORITE days were computer lab days! We got to play computer games like Math Invaders, Where in the World is Carmen San Diego, and (my favorite) OREGON TRAIL! You got to set out across the country with a covered wagon, some oxen, and not enough ammunition. You got to see if you could make it all the way to OREGON. You couldn’t. You’d always die of Dysentery. But THIS trip is one we can all make. Nothing says Oregon quite like fresh Dungeness Crab! Keep it simple and pair it with some more Oregon favorites, mushrooms and hazelnuts! It was fresh, delicious, and worth repeating!
Tips and Tricks
- A Guide to Crabs:
- Blue Crabs – Blue crabs are in the Atlantic Ocean, from Maine to Florida, and in the Gulf of Mexico. They’re caught with dredges, traps, and bottom trawls, and also as a by-catch on shrimp boats. These crabs are incredibly sweet—and many aficionados prefer them to any other type of crab. They’re sold live, cooked whole, frozen, and as picked meat. Blue crab claws are also available.
- Soft Shell Crabs – Soft-shell crabs are blue crabs that have molted. In order to grow larger, crabs have to shed their old shell and form a new one. During this process, the crabs are without their hard covering for only a few days, and they’re only truly soft-shells for a few hours. Soft-shell crabs are a delicacy and are eaten whole after minimal cleaning.
- Dungeness Crabs – These delicious crabs are found in the Pacific, from Alaska to central California. They’re caught in nets, traps, pots, and on hook and line. Only adult males are kept. Dungeness crabs are very meaty. They’re sold live, as whole cooked crabs, and as picked meat.
- Jonah Crabs – The Jonah crab is the Atlantic’s answer to the Dungeness. They’re found off the coast of North Carolina, up to Maine, and are caught with traps, pots, hook and line, and bottom trawls. The meat is sweet and flaky, and the claws are very meaty. They’re sold in clusters, as legs only, and as claws.
- King Crabs – King crabs are caught in Alaskan waters with trawls, traps, and nets. The average crab harvested weighs about six pounds, but they can grow much larger. King crab is sold in legs and claws. The flesh is delicate and deteriorates quickly. If you purchase it frozen, keep it frozen until ready to cook.
- Snow Crabs – Snow crabs are found in the coastal waters of Alaska and Maine, and are harvested with the use of traps and pots. They have a sweet and delicate flavor. Snow crab is typically sold in leg and claw clusters, with some meat from their body attached to it.
- Sothern Tanner Crabs – This crab is found starting in Alaska and all the way down to Oregon. They’re caught in pots and traps, and have a sweet and very flaky meat. Tanner crabs are usually sold in leg clusters and as lump crabmeat.
- Stone Crabs – Stone crabs are found in the Atlantic—from North Carolina to Florida, and in the Gulf of Mexico. Generally, only the claws are eaten. Crabbers remove one claw and return the crabs to the water, where they’ll regenerate a new claw. Stone crabs are caught in traps, and their meat is sweet and succulent.
- Tips for How to Choose Crabs and Crabmeat
- When buying crab legs and claws, inspect them and consider these qualities:
- Individual pieces: It’s better to choose your own individual pieces instead of buying pre-packaged frozen ones. Not only will you get to inspect the crab for freshness—you can also pick the best parts.
- Size: Choose the largest legs and claws possible from the display.
- Smell: If they have an ammonia odor, don’t buy them.
- Weight: Pick up the pieces. Meaty crab legs will feel heavy for their size.
- Color: They should be a bright red color.
- Joints: The joints should be fully intact.
- Refrigerated crabmeat is also available and is a great choice if you don’t want to go to the trouble of picking your meat from the shells. It’s available in lump (backfin) and claw meat, with the lump crabmeat being more expensive.
- When buying crab legs and claws, inspect them and consider these qualities:
Steamed Dungeness Crab Legs
Serves 2
- 4 Dungeness Crab Leg Clusters
- 1 Lemon, cut into 4 pieces
- 5-6 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
- Handful of Fresh Parsley
- 1 Stick of Butter, divided and melted
Step 1: Take a large stock pot and fill it with 1-2 inches of water. Add the lemon, thyme, and parsley to the water and place the pot over high heat.
Step 2: Bring the water to a rapid boil. One boiling place a steamer basket in the pot.
Step 3: Add the Dungeness Crab legs to the steamer basket, cover, and cook for 5 minutes or until heated through.
Step 4: Serve hot with melted butter for dipping.
Marinated Mushroom and Hazelnut Salad
Serves 4
- 1/2 lb. Sliced White Mushrooms, rinsed
- 3/4 Cup Safflower Oil
- 1/2 Cup White Wine Vinegar
- 2 Tbs Water
- 3/4 tsp Dried Savory
- 3/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/4 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Package Chopped Romaine Lettuce
- 1/2 Cup Roasted Hazelnuts, chopped
Step 1: In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, water, salt, savory, onion powder and pepper.
Step 2: Add the mushrooms to the bowl and stir to thoroughly coat the all the mushrooms in the dressing. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Step 3: After 1 hour, divide the romaine lettuce between four bowls. Remove the mushrooms from the dressing with a slotted spoon and divide them evenly among the bowls as well. Drizzle some extra dressing over the salads and toss each one.
Step 4: Top the salads with chopped hazelnuts and serve cold.
Fun Facts about Oregon: 1. The depth of Crater Lake is close to 2,000 feet which makes it the deepest lake in America and among the top 10 deepest lakes in the world. 2. At 121 feet, D River happens to be the shortest river in the world. Surprisingly, the river did not have a name when it was listed in the Guinness Book of records and was just referred to as the “shortest river in the world”. 3. Oregon holds the record for the tallest barber pole which measures at 72 feet. It is located in Forest Grove and was built in 1973 to rival the previous holder of the record that was located in San Antonio. 4. Oregon is also home to one of the oldest and longest land routes used during the western expansion, the Oregon Trail. It stretches 2,200 miles long. 5. The largest cheese factory in the world, the Tillamook Cheese Factory attracts many people every year. 6. Oregon is home to the biggest mushroom in the world. The mushroom covers 2,200 acres across the Oregon Mountains. It’s estimated to be 2,400 years old. 7. Mill Ends Park (sometimes mistakenly called Mill’s End Park) is a tiny urban park located in the median strip of SW Naito Parkway, approaching esplanade along the Willamette River near SW Taylor Street in downtown Portland. The park is a small circle 2 ft across, with a total area of 452 sq in (0.292 m). Mill Ends Park was designated as a city park in 1948. It is the smallest park in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records, which first granted it this recognition in 1971.
Edible U.S. 