Fall is finally here in the Pacific Northwest. Berry season is, for the most part, over.
But, I'm an Oregon girl. I hold onto Oregon berry season for as long as I can. Usually that means picking several pounds of blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries and flash freezing them to last throughout the fall and winter.
Sometimes, that means publishing photos of an event featuring Oregon berries at their finest just as the weather starts to turn, so we can savor the sweetness of Oregon's summer bounty for just a little bit longer.
Gala Berry Dinner
The Gala Berry Dinner was the premiere event of the Lifewise Oregon Berry Festival. Held this past summer on a sweltering, sunny day on the rooftop of the EcoTrust Building in Portland, Oregon's Pearl District, a delicious ending to a fabulous weekend celebration of Oregon berries.
The berry celebration began at the bar, with berry-focused beverages:
- Eastside Marionberry Whiskey Cocktails
- Wild Roots Raspberry Vodka Cocktails
- Wine by Artisanal Winery
- Blackberry Baltic Porter by Breakside Brewing
The Oregon Red Raspberry Mule featured Hot Lips Soda and Wild Roots Raspberry Vodka was a sweet way to start the evening.
The dinner was catered by talented Chef Jenn Louis of Lincoln restaurant and Sunshine Tavern.
HORS D' OEUVRES: Cornbread with mascarpone and smoked strawberry conserva.
Bruschetta with roasted salmon with fennel and blueberries
Chicken with summer lettuces, strawberries and almonds
Pork with blackberries and aged balsamic vinegar
Along with dinner, we enjoyed one of my favorite Oregon Pinot Noirs: the Adelsheim Elizabeth Reserve.
The food was inventive, the pairings were thoughtful, the service was attentive and friendly, the atmosphere was jovial, and the night, overall, was a warm and welcoming celebration of Oregon's best summer berries.
Read the first two parts of my Celebrating Oregon Berries series: Oregon Berry Festival and Field Trip to Unger Farms.
Read more about Oregon Berries:
What is your favorite summer berry, and what is your favorite way to make them last beyond the season?
Pech says
Cornbread with mascarpone and smoked strawberry conserva? That sounds so interesting as an appetizer! Hm, it can be made appropriate for Thanksgiving right, I mean cornbread... hmm...
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
It was a good combination of sweetness of the strawberry and mascarpone and the savory of the cornbread. This would be a great Thanksgiving appetizer! Good idea, Pech!
Renée says
It may have been sweltering, but those sunny skies yielded some beautiful images, Marlynn! The pork with blackberries sounds fabulous. If I had to pick my favorite type of Oregon berry (<see what I did there) I'd have to choose our homegrown Marionberry - no question about it.
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Ahh the Oregon Marionberry is indeed an incredible summer treat for us, Renee! I love them!