Fishing and Festivals

Last Friday I updated you on our trip to Valdez. Since then, we had a friend come to town for a few days and my husband and oldest son went halibut fishing with him. They had a fantastic time and my son was so proud of his catch! Especially now that he's old enough to be considered "one of the guys." It's a major shift when that happens. After all was said and done, they brought home plenty of fish to keep us cooking for the rest of our time here.

While the guys were out sighting whales and puffins on the boat, the younger two and I went to the Anchorage Saturday Market and Festival. It's down by the train depot and the Alaska Geographic shop, where I bought some great homeschool resources. We'll be starting school officially (obviously the kids have been learning since we left, but don't tell them that. ;-)) the first week in September, and will be focusing on Alaska geography, economy, history, sociology, etc. until we leave. These books and poster will be useful tools for that. Like I said, the kids have learned a lot about Alaska already just by exploring and experiencing it. These resources are to reinforce that knowledge.

The market, itself, was huge and filled with more people than we'd seen in one place for a while. We saw a few busses there, so the cruise lines probably had a part to play in that. There were vendors galore but I was excited to meet one person in particular. Dan Seavey, one of the founders of the Iditarod, wrote a book recently and has been driving up from Seward with his lovely wife, Shirley, to sell it at the market and sign autographs. It was such a pleasure to talk to them. They really are some of the nicest, most interesting people you'd ever want to meet. I've been reading his book "The First Great Race" ever since I brought it home. It's very well written. I especially love that I've been everywhere he's talked about so far, and can picture it in my mind while reading. It's a wonderful picture of recent Alaskan history and the Iditarod. You can feel the connections he has with his family and friends on every page.

Another person we went to find at the market was Laurel Downing Bill, author of the "Aunt Phil's Trunk" Alaska state history series. Her books are approved curriculum for Alaska schools and each one is broken into short stories with pictures galore. I bought the first book so we could get a taste before leaving but something tells me I'm going to want to read the whole series on my own when all is said and done! Ms. Bill is never hard to find in a crowd. She's the one dressed in full 1900's regalia with a large brimmed hat to finish off the look. She also sells sourdough starter that began in the 1896 Gold fields. We bought some and are happy to report a successful experiment in bread making this week!

The rest of the market was full of local vendors selling everything from scrimshaw (carved ivory and bone) to t-shirts. We enjoyed listening to the singers and tasting culinary delights like mixed berry ice cream, lemonade, and reindeer sausage quesadillas.

Another place we visited this week that was a lot of fun is the Alaska State Fair. This is their 80th Anniversary and yesterday was the official start. You'd better believe we were there right as the gates opened- despite the rain!

Once a year in August, the whole state comes together to enjoy each others' company at the fair. There's a feeling of comradery and excitement as people pass and smile at each other. Volunteers come out in droves to help, from the very young to the very old. People work all year on beautiful creations for the contests. Groups practice their dances and songs. Children nurture animals to maturity to be judged and viewed by the masses. Everyone, from people in traditional Alaskan dress to people with dyed hair and piercings, mingle with familiarity. It's really a unique experience.

I've taken a ton of pictures to give you an idea of what we saw. This is just a small sampling. There are some amazingly talented people here.

We were able to touch several kinds of fiber, from musk ox to moose.

 This is the commemorative quilt they'll be raffling off at the end of the fair. I wish you could see the details in the blocks. You'll just have to check them out here. They were designed by local artist, Ruth Hulbert and the quilt was made by local quilter, Kathy Rockey.

I can now appreciate the hours of work and skill that went into each of these beaded flowers!

 I may have to try this project with the kids. What a pretty result! It's a leaf and dried flower collage!

Look at the close up of this drawing. It's AHH-MAZING!

At the fair, people are exposed to things they don't ordinarily have the opportunity to experience. We were treated to demonstrations in Yup'ik dance, woodworking, cooking, and goat milking. We were also able to make and take home beeswax candles, which was a lot of fun.

Because Alaska is so far removed from the "Lower 48," the professional fair vendors you generally see everywhere can't make their way up here easily. This means the fair is manned by Alaskans. The booths boast "Alaskan Made" and "Alaska Grown" everywhere you look. I love the pride they take in those labels. You can buy everything from Mukluks (Alaskan fur boots) and birch baskets to cosmetics and key chains. We were able to get an autograph from "Tundra" cartoonist, Chad Carpenter, himself, because he lives nearby. A lot of the food vendors are made up of local organizations that make their dishes from scratch, from produce grown nearby or locally harvested meat. I'm giddy just thinking about it! It's authentic. It's genuine. It's generous- A lot like the people here.

In the 4H area, the Cooperative Extension Service at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks provided all kinds of great information about Alaska-relevant topics, all for free! We made sure to pick up a poster and some booklets to help us in our studies.

The kids and I had fun in the barn with the different animals. You can get close and touch just about all of them!

 Yep! That's a reindeer!

 Every year they bring in hatching eggs for observation. There's a brooder with chicks in it nearby and a pen with chickens that have chicks trailing after them. Needless to say, I was captivated.

The theme is "Bee Happy," which is why you see so many bee related pictures. This is a giant topiary. By the time I took this, the sun had come out.

 I can't resist the cheesy activities! They're too fun!

After the fair, we visited "The Noisy Goose" in Palmer. It's right across from the fairgrounds and is an institution in Palmer with a hunting theme and down home cooking. Cruise lines used to bring tourists there while traveling through, but have since built their own establishments, bypassing some of the local businesses. It's a shame, really. I could go on for days about what I think of this. Instead I'll just encourage you to make an effort to visit local establishments whenever you are. 

When asked what I will miss most about Alaska, I consider the scenery, the vastness, the arts, but ultimately my answer is this. It's the people. In all our travels to date, every person we've met has been welcoming, genuinely interested in talking to us and giving ideas to help us learn about the "real Alaska". They've been generous, and most importantly, they have a real desire to be involved in their communities and to help their neighbors. They love this land and understand the relationship they have with it. It's a beautiful thing.

Alaska, itself, seems to be in a hurry to get back to the cooler months these days. We've been experiencing Seattle-like weather (rain and gray) since the middle of July. A few weeks ago the trees started turning various shades of red, gold, and orange. This past week we saw a report in Anchorage of "termination dust"- a term I had to look up. It's the first dusting of snow in high altitudes signaling the impending end of summer. I have mixed emotions about this. On one hand, we are able to be here to experience this along with everyone else, which is cool. On the other hand, it makes me wonder what the roads will be like when we leave in a few weeks, which is iffy. I guess we'll see what happens when the time comes!

- Jen

Sourdough and Birch- Eating Alaska

It's no secret that our family likes to plan trips around local foods and restaurants. What I really love about planning this way, aside from tasting, is getting to meet the crafters of these culinary delights. They're the people who pour their hearts into the cultivation of vegetables and fruit so they can harvest them at peak ripeness. They're the people who experiment with lesser known ingredients to create entirely new taste experiences. They're the people who use generations-old family recipes and share them with strangers. They're foragers, animal experts, and promotors of health and sustainability. In short, they're artists with a passion to educate and innovate, and they connect us to our food in a personal way that the supermarket never could.

So far we've visited the Wasilla, Willow, Palmer, and Kenai farmers markets and have met some of these amazing people. Did you know that 98% of Alaska's food is imported? That is a scary number and one that Alaskans are trying to change. So, as a temporary citizen, I plan to do my part to support the local market where I can. Fortunately we happen to be here during the prime growing season, which makes it easy. Here is a sampling of some of the local gems we've discovered so far.

Once we entered Alaska and began our tour of the northern part of the state, we started noticing signs for "Sourdough" this, and "Sourdough" that. I know what sourdough is, and happen to be a big fan, but this was a little over the top. When I asked a local what it was all about, she told me that prospectors during the gold rush became known as "Sourdoughs" because they would carry sourdough starter with them for bread making. It became so steeped in the culture that people started naming businesses after it and now it's everywhere. Of course, I had to try some now that I knew the significance, so I ordered sourdough hotcakes at a restaurant in Kenai. They were flatter than the buttermilk pancakes I'm used to, and crisp on the edges, but still very tender. The pancakes had a tart flavor that played nicely with the butter and sweet syrup. Now that I have a temporary library card, you can bet I'll be trying my hand at making these little beauties from scratch with the kids!  If you want to learn more, you can visit: Sourdough History 

Another item we noticed at tourist hot spots was birch syrup. I've had maple syrup (the REAL stuff) plenty of times, but this was new. Unfortunately, none of the places selling it had samples. You had to buy the whole bottle if you wanted to try it. Birch syrup is a bit spendy, so we put it off. That is, we put it off until we ran across the place where it's made in Talkeetna! At their main location, which is a small store on the side of the road, we were treated to a video that showed us the process of harvesting and making the syrup. Then we were brought to a counter where a whole spectrum of vials were displayed. In each vial was a sample of syrup that began with the syrup made at the beginning of the harvest to the end of it. They also had a few different years to choose from, like a wine maker might. The syrup from the beginning of the harvest was sweet and light, whereas the syrup from the end of the harvest was more on the sour end of the scale. We were told that the syrup from the end of the harvest was best for things like barbeque sauces and marinades.

The reason for the variations in taste and color is because of the variations in the levels of fructose, which are higher at the beginning of the run. You can learn all about birch syrup here: Kahiltna Gold Birch Syrup We bought a bottle of the syrup from the 2015 first run. It's the consistency of maple syrup (the real stuff) and resembles it in flavor, but has bitter notes and an earthiness you don't get in maple syrup. It makes a delicious ice cream and caramel. I highly recommend checking it out! Apparently it's also easier for diabetics to process.

These are birch collection buckets. You'll have to visit their site to see how it's done.

This is the equipment the syrup is processed in.

The tour guide put the syrup from the first run and the syrup from the last run next to each other so we could see the difference in color. These are all from the same year. The lighter syrup is the first run.

Last week I told you about the fireweed jelly from Jingle Jellies at the farmers market (she sells in both Wasilla and Willow). So far we've tried the fireweed, fir tip (which tastes like lemonade), and nasturtium (It's fruity and mild. Almost peach-like). I'm looking forward to trying all her out-of-the-ordinary flavors while we're here. 

We've also been checking out local small businesses, like Monica's Confection Connection in Wasilla. This store only opened a month ago. In it, you'll find delicious homemade fudges, marshmallows, brittles, lollipops, and gummy candies. My favorite was the Chocolate Caramel Nut fudge, which was like a Snickers Bar.

I know. I have a terrible sweet tooth....don't judge.  

At stores across Alaska, I've been seeing navy blue boxes with a white sailor on them called "Sailor Boy Pilot Bread Crackers". This isn't a brand I've seen in the "Lower 48", so I asked a local about them. I was surprised to learn that it's hardtack. You know, like the stuff pioneers used back during the wagon train days! Of course, I HAD to try it. So, I bought a box. They're about the size of a cookie and look like a Ritz Cracker without the salt. In my mind I had built up the idea that hardtack would be break-your-teeth hard, like in the descriptions from books. Not so! It's more like a dense, crisp cracker. Almost like a saltine without the salt, and lends itself to being topped with cheese or any other spread. The local I spoke to told me about Pilot Bread being a staple of her childhood, in a family with little means. "It's basically a filler." she told me. I'm glad I decided to try it. The kids also liked it, which means it will be easy to bring with us as we explore.

In Fairbanks we visited the Tanana Valley Farmers Market, which was pretty big compared to the markets around here in the Matanuska Valley (we have yet to visit the one in south Anchorage). We loved the art but a few things really caught our eye. One being teeny-tiny wild strawberries. They were fragrant and sweet. Apparently, people go out to forage and sell their findings at the market. I love this! Mostly because as a visitor, I don't have the knowledge, resources, or time the locals have to go out to find them myself. We also saw a booth for a mushroom forager. Chaga seems to be huge at the markets here in Alaska.

When we saw honeyberries (which we'd never seen before) being sold at a booth, we made sure to try them. They're like long, tart blueberries and have a sweet finish to them. Our daughter especially liked them. The vendor who sold them to us told us they make a wonderful sauce for meats when cooked down. You can learn more here: Honeyberries in Fairbanks

When I get a chance, I'll post a picture of one of the ice cream shacks we pass every day. In Washington, we have sheds that have been converted into drive-thru coffee shops everywhere (along with all the varieties of indie coffee shops and chains. What can I say? We love our coffee!). They have them up here also, but many of them are dedicated to ice cream instead. I've been told that Alaskans eat more ice cream, per capita, than anywhere else in the United States. I can neither confirm nor deny that claim, but it seems to be true from the amount of ice cream shops we've seen up here.

I know I've left a conspicuous hole where the Alaskan fishing industry is concerned. My husband and I are big fans of all seafood, to be sure. Where we are, though, we actually come across more advertisements for game meats than seafood, so that's where our focus has been. We'll leave that part of the Alaskan diet for another post when we visit a town where fish plays the starring role. Until then, I'll tell you that we've tried reindeer and buffalo sausages and hot dogs. 

No, we haven't eaten seal oil, moose, or bear. Mostly because we're not natives and those items haven't been offered to us. It's only legal to sell meats and products from animals that have been farm raised. This is a way of protecting the wildlife from poachers and overharvesting. Even though we are adventurous eaters, we fully support this law. Sustainability is the only responsible way to go.

One thing I will tell you about fishing in Alaska is that we drove down the peninsula to Soldotna and Kenai last weekend, where fishing season is in full swing. There were swarms of people lined up and down the rivers using large nets to catch fish (look up dipnetting). I'm sure plenty were tourists, but there were also a fair few locals trying to catch fish for their winter freezers. Life up here is pretty cold once those months arrive, so people try to stock their freezers as best as they can to prepare.

The views everywhere are gorgeous and people are so hospitable and creative. We're really enjoying our time here! Have a great week!

- Jen