OC WAVES 3.9

THE KITCHEN WILD
PHOTOS AND RECIPES BY KATIE WILEY
DUNGENESS
CRAB IN GARLIC
BUTTER SAUCE
This past Saturday, I made a trip to Portland
for my little sister Lydia’s wedding. It was a
beautiful wedding held right in the heart of
Southeast Portland in a historic venue that was
once used as the meeting hall for the Organization
Of Oddfellows back in the 1900s. Having the
opportunity to watch my beautiful sister walk
down the aisle and visit with old friends and
family, some of which I haven’t seen in over 30
years, was truly wonderful. There was small talk
of how our lives have transformed over the years
since we last saw one another, leading to the
present day. And within those conversations there
was one question I was asked over and over again
— “What’s it like living at the beach?” And those
of us who call the coast home know all too well
the answer to this question — it’s simply amazing.
In an attempt to describe life on the coast,
I compared it to a real life Hallmark movie.
Imagine if you will, the setting takes place in a
big city, horns are honking, nature is choked out
by paved streets and tall buildings, and you find
yourself working your days away missing the very
best of life’s moments in an attempt to keep up
with those around you who are doing the same.
A never ending and always evolving race to the
top. But then an opportunity leads you to a
small coastal town where the sound of honking
horns have been replaced by the cheerful song of
seagulls. Your commute no longer consists of a
never-ending stretch of concrete but is replaced by
breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. And the
only bragging rights that matter here are days spent
with the ones we love most, reeling in a keeper,
finding that perfect hiking trail, or just about any
activity with our toes in the sand. And just like
any good Hallmark movie, the picturesque, sleepy
town filled with joyful people that you can’t help
but fall in love with wins every time.
Life on the coast is undoubtedly a whole lot
slower, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s
this slower pace that allows us those moments to
stop and reflect on what truly matters in life. We
can’t take money, clothes and cars with us when
we die, but we do have the opportunity to leave
behind a legacy of passion, adventure and pure joy
and instill those values of happiness and real life
experiences in future generations.
OC WAVES • VOL 3.9
Although I’m a whole lot more comfortable
holding a Dungeness crab than a clutch purse
these days, celebrating my sister’s big day is now
a memory I’ll always cherish, and I was certainly
grateful to be a part of it — even if it was in
Portland. However, venturing back into the city
was a great reminder of just how grateful I am for
my new life here on the Oregon coast, living in a
place that truly feels like home.
Dungeness Crab in Garlic Butter Sauce
Ingredients
• 3 Dungeness Crab, cleaned and cooked.
• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 1 Tbs fresh minced garlic
• 1 Tbs chopped Italian parsley
• 1/2 tsp salt
• a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little heat
(optional)
Directions:
In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt
butter then add garlic, salt and red pepper flakes.
Sauté for 1-2 minutes, carefully stirring to make
sure butter and garlic do not burn. Remove
from heat, add parsley, drizzle over crab then
immediately enjoy!
THE KITCHEN
WILD CLAM
CHOWDER
A vacation is defined as “an extended period of
leisure and recreation, especially one spent away
from home or in traveling.” But what if we live in a
place we love so much that our life is our vacation?
This has been precisely my dilemma since moving
to Waldport — I don’t want to leave. Ever. However,
this past weekend when some of our family invited
us to join them for a family vacation in Depoe
Bay, we couldn’t wait to travel the short 35 miles
up Highway 101 to join them. That same coastal
charm, just new beaches to explore, and explore
we did!
We finally visited the much anticipated and
highly recommended, Fogarty Creek Beach.
The state park itself has charming pathways that
wander through a sleepy forest with picnic tables
and a winding creek that flows through it, leading
out to a picturesque coastal cove with ancient
rock formations. And that small creek transforms
into a soothing river that I was told is constantly
molding and changing the topography of the
beach itself so it’s a mystery as to what the beach
will look like from one day to the next. All of
those recommendations were spot on — what a
spectacular place Fogarty Creek Beach turned out
to be!
The house we stayed in for the weekend was
located on an equally spectacular beach — Lincoln
Beach, yet another beach with what appeared to be
constant changes from one tide to the next. The
day we arrived, the surf was absolutely wild, with
breakers taller than my husband crashing right at
the shoreline. The sand was made of small pebbles
so it wasn’t quite as soft on our feet as the sand in
Waldport, but the sound of the waves crashing on
that unique pebbled sand was incredible. It was
a bit reminiscent of the sound of a Hawaiian or
California surf.
The next morning, however, those big breakers
were replaced by a much calmer ocean, and the
low tide revealed that those small pebbles actually
lead out to an entire shoreline of beautiful rocks.
It was a feature that certainly didn’t go unnoticed
by locals and visitors alike because that beach was
filled with rock hunters. So I threw on my hat and
coat and ran down to join them and quite literally
had the time of my life once I got down there. I
found dozens and dozens of agates in that short
amount of time, some as large as the palm of my
hand, even coming across a highly sought after
Hag stone, which folklore says will bring you luck.
And as luck would have it, this weekend I may
have accidentally stumbled across something I’ve
been searching of since moving to the coast — the
best clam chowder. If you follow my Instagram
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