The Applegater

2 Summer 2016 Applegater Paul Tipton's basic smoked salmon recipe "e commitment that the volunteers bring to the organization is incredible." The Applegater welcomes Shelley Manning to the Board of Directors Shelley Manning, a retired salon owner and hair colorist, grew up in Los Angeles County, attended Cerritos College, and migrated south to Carlsbad, California. She and her husband, Cary, fulfilled their dream of being self-employed hair salon owners. en, "irty years went by in the blink of an eye," said Shelley. By the mid-1990s, Shelley was hired as a guest artist by Goldwell, an international hair color manufacturer. As the job required a "million miles of travel," she had the opportunity to experience communities all over the US and Canada. at's why, when the time came for the next phase of Shelley's dream—a sweet little farm—she knew the Applegate was nirvana. Ten years ago, she and Cary started combing the valley to find their perfect property. eir search came to fruition two years ago on ompson Creek. ese days you can find Shelley puttering around in her garden, moving dirt, sprouting seeds, or just sitting by the creek. She has found contentment as a neophyte farmer, but still likes to do a little hair coloring on the side. Shelley said that the Applegater was her lifeline to the community when her Applegate life was still a fantasy. Now she is delighted to be serving as a board member. As we welcome Shelley, we say good-bye to two former board members, Richard Goodnough and Heather Murphy. A huge thanks to both of them for their valued service. When the Applegater asked for contributions to its proposed anthology of Applegate writers, From the Heart of the Applegate, the literary pieces came flooding in. e Applegate is full of good writers! is anthology contains works of 36 of those writers, represented in 10 pieces of nonfiction, 9 pieces of short fiction, and 45 poems. On Saturday, June 11, ten of the authors represented in the book will be reading their pieces in the upstairs room of Terra Firma at 135 West California Street in Jacksonville. e readers, chosen by lottery, will be Lisa Baldwin, Dolores Durando, Beate Foit, Lily Myers Kaplan, Haley May, H. Ni Aodagain, Christina Strelova, Barbara Summerhawk, Christin Weber, and Greeley Wells. Topics of the essays, poems, and short stories range from living in the Applegate to travels abroad, from childhood experiences to contemplations about age, from environmental writing to personal revelations. Some pieces are humorous; some explore grief or love; some speak of our spirituality, others of our relationships with animals or with each other. It's an anthology that reaches broadly, but the biographies at the back of the book reveal that its common ground is the Applegate itself. Come to Terra Firma on June 11 to hear the readings, to meet the authors, to enjoy some refreshments, and to buy the book. e proceeds from sales support the ongoing publication of the Applegater, the quarterly newsmagazine of the Applegate Valley, which is mailed free to all residents and businesses. Applegate authors to read at Terra Firma Saturday, June 11, 1 to 3 pm need. Not to mention the great people in the firefighting field! Mike star ted as a "paid-call" firefighter for Orange County in 1986. He's also worked as a firefighter at Camp Pendleton, in Big Bear Lake, and as a captain at the Fort Irwin National Training Center in the Mojave Desert. In 2005 he was hired as a captain with the San Bernardino County Fire Department, where he stayed for 11 years, working in both the mountain and desert divisions. Mike said that after 20 years, he and his wife, Becky, were "tired of the snow" and the California lifestyle. A friend suggested they check out southwestern Oregon, so they did last summer. Feeling that the area offered great opportunities for their three children, they moved the family to the Applegate last September. M i k e a n d B e c k y h a v e t h r e e teenagers, so they were especially pleased to discover the terrific sports programs that our Hidden Valley High School offers. Mackenzie, 17, is an athlete; she enjoys playing volleyball and also runs track. Hannah, 15, is on the school cheerleader team. She loves animals and the lifestyle here in the Applegate Valley. eir son Gavin is 13 and attends Lincoln Savage Middle School. He also enjoys the Applegate lifestyle and is an outstanding (Dad's word) baseball player (look out, MLB!). Mike and Becky are obviously very proud of their children and their accomplishments to date. Chief Mike says that there are a lot of similarities between Applegate Valley Fire District #9 and San Bernardino County's Mountain Division, where he worked for over two years. Large forests, open spaces, mountains, homes on long rural roads—basically wildland-urban interface! Both areas count on mutual aid from neighboring agencies. Mike noted that San Bernardino is a large, paid-employee department that can address all types of risks, such as hazmat and ambulance service (much like Medford), while the Applegate is a smaller department comprised of both full- time and volunteer personnel working together to mitigate all emergencies. And what's been the chief's first impressions of his new district? He said, "My experience with the paid staff has been very rewarding. ese individuals truly enjoy serving the Applegate community. As for the volunteers, all I can say is 'Wow!' e commitment that the volunteers bring to the organization is incredible. ese individuals are truly the backbone of this organization, and I am excited to get to know all of them better as time goes on." Chief Mike told me that after six weeks, he's still getting used to the day-to-day operations (and finding his way around the valley). He feels that "my experience working in different organizations throughout my career has groomed and prepared me to develop the necessary skills to lead the Applegate Valley Fire District #9." The chief says, "I was fortunate enough to work for some outstanding leaders while employed with San Bernardino County Fire, and I look forward to leading and mentoring the members of Applegate Valley Fire District #9." Stop in at the headquarters station in Ruch and meet your new fire chief when you get a chance! Sandy Shaffer sassyoneor@gmail.com ■ NEW FIRE CHIEF Continued from page 1 In the spring Applegater, you read about Paul Tipton winning first place at the Smoked Salmon Festival in 2015. Paul has generously offered to share his smoked-salmon recipe with our readers—here it is: Start with the freshest and brightest fish you can catch, or buy fresh flash- frozen Alaskan salmon as a reasonable substitute. You can prepare the dry brine mixture ahead of time and let the flavors blend. e quantity of this mix will get you through multiple smokings if you keep it in an airtight container. is is a fairly mild mix, not too spicy, and can be varied to suit your taste. Dry brine mixture 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup sea salt (or other salt) 1 teaspoon white pepper 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (substitute or add black pepper) 1½ teaspoons ginger 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning 1½ teaspoons mustard powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder e night before the smoking, cut the salmon into pieces—smaller pieces will get more smoke contact, so Paul usually cuts 4" x 4" or 5" pieces, but you can do a whole fillet or any size portion you want. With bigger fish and thicker meat, put a slice halfway down through the middle of the piece to allow more brine and smoke contact. Put the fish in glass or stainless containers in a single layer. (Paul uses large glass baking pans with 1½" to 2" sides, of different sizes, and stacks them in a big cooler with ice to avoid taking up refrigerator space.) A f t e r m i x i n g t h e d r y b r i n e ingredients, shake or spoon the mixture over the fish with one hand and rub it in with the other, coating all exposed meat surfaces. Be careful—if you apply too much, it won't stick. Cover and refrigerate overnight, 8 to 12 hours. Early on smoking day, clean, oil and prepare your smoking racks. Take the fish out and quickly rinse the excess brine off each piece, then place on an oiled rack. Let it dry for at least two hours in an airy place so that the "pellicle," a sealing layer, will form over the fish. For Paul's smoking process, use a live alderwood fire with a little bit of charcoal to keep it going. Keep some wood soaked i n w a t e r and a spray bottle ready t o k n o c k d o w n t h e fire. is is an intensive process, and t h e r e a r e many types of smokers that could p r o v i d e a s i m i l a r result. Try to keep the initial temperature of the smoker from 120 to 150 degrees F for the first two to six hours of smoking to allow this cooler smoke to be absorbed into the fish. e slow rise in temperature also prevents an excess flow of juices from the fish. Gradually raise the temperature to about 200 degrees F or slightly above, and occasionally rotate your racks from hotter to cooler positions. When the internal temperature of the fish reaches 110 to 120 degrees F, start with the first of three to four bastings to provide additional flavors to the finished product. Basting ingredients ¼ cup fresh or frozen orange, lemon, or other citrus juices, or apple cider brown sugar—enough to make a slightly syrupy mixture of two to three tablespoons water, vodka, brandy to adjust the mix ¼ teaspoon powdered ginger, cayenne, or other pepper Baste every 20 to 30 minutes until the salmon reaches 140 to 145 degrees F. Remove from or cool in the smoker until ready for wrapping. Wrap the fish in plastic wrap and freeze it on cookie sheets overnight, then slip it into pre- cut vacuum bags and vacuum pack immediately. (In the rare case that too much moisture is in the vacuum bag, put a little piece of paper towel at the edge of the seal inside to keep from messing up the seal.) e vacuum-packed salmon never lasts long around Paul's house, but it could keep this way for several years at zero degrees. Finally, Paul warns, be very careful who you tell about having some! Fish on! For more information, contact Paul Tipton at 541-846-7501. Paul Tipton preparing salmon for smoking.

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