Wine & Country Living

Permitted to permit! The word is out, the rules are explicate and to participate in the Walla Walla Farmers Market as a vendor selling foods of any kind, you must have liability insurance and a health permit, plus any other permits your booth may require.

I know from experience the health permits in Walla Walla are more expensive than in Seattle or San Francisco and liability insurance can be expensive. For these reasons, if you're thinking about getting involved in selling your produce this year or in the future, make sure you research these costs and fix them into your start-up costs before being disappointed.

First of June is the opening day of Walla Walla Sweet Onion season and I am already in line. I love the green baby sweets that look like a bunch of green onions. I use these versatile onions in everything from salsa to grilling alone on a charcoal grill. A neighbor of mine is a salmon fisherman and this morning he knocked on my door with a twenty two pound salmon in hand. I was blown away.

First of all, I haven't seen a big salmon like this since Santa Cruz. Second of all, what a tremendous gift and because of this, I invited half a dozen friends over for a grilled salmon dinner tonight. I designed a new salsa for tonight's salmon and as soon as I finish this column, I'll make purple pesto pasta tossed with plump sun dried tomatoes, kalamata olives and crumbled feta cheese to round out the feast.

The wine for tonight's dinner is simple; Isenhower Cellars 2010 White Paint Brush, a delicious blend of 79% Roussane and 21% Marsanne grapes, styled after the classic Northern Rhone Valley wines of France. The flavor of this wine exhibits the true sense of winemakers Denise and Brent Isenhower and their dedication to sustainable growing and wine-making practices.

White Paint Brush is a well-balanced white wine bright in mango nose, tongue swaddled in tangerine, juicy melon and an irresistible melding mineral finish. Denise and Brent, because you have dedicated your life to wine tended "by the acre" in small lot and environmentally sustainable and because you can't find a better Rhone-styled white in this region, Isenhower Cellars has earned 98 point from Wine and Country Living. Congratulations Isenhower Cellars! Until next week, "Eat Art Drink Imagination!"

Green Baby Sweet Salsa

3-green baby sweet onions chopped fine

1-quart strawberries chopped

1-tablespoon white wine

1-apple chopped fine

1-jalapeno pepper chopped fine

1-tablespoon cilantro chopped fine

1-teaspoon minced garlic

¾-packet strawberry gelatin

Method: In a pan bring all to a simmer, stirring constantly until wilted and thickening. Turn off heat, pour from pan and cool before serving. Great with Salmon Filets and for breakfast and butter toasted sourdough bread.

Hear Judith's quarterly web cast food and wine pairing and food photos: www.chefjudithenderson.com