Judith Henderson’s Wine & Country Living

Bellowing across the Palouse, thundering into Touchet Valley comes summer. The grandkids running through the sprinkler while parents and grandma sit on the patio squeezing wedges of juicy fresh lemon into tall glasses of sweet tea.

Yes, summer is here and so is the temptation to quickly load the family into the boat and go for a run around our rural waterways. The problem with quickly boarding a water craft is safety; is it in place for all aboard?

The U.S. Coast Guard recently announced they lose ten children a day during the summer months due to ill-fitted life jackets. This is an alarming statistic. The Coast Guard advises outfitting yourself, kids and pets with floatation jackets ap- proved by the Coast Guard, made available in outfitter shops. Look for jackets with the certified label that reads; “US Coast Guard Approved.”

About berry farms participating in pick-your-own pro- grams: wear closed toe shoes and long pants, you’ll be crawl- ing around on your knees for those scrumptious fruits. And a smear of SPF wouldn’t hurt either. Once committed to picking your own berries, you can’t beat the deal. Berries run $5.99 a pound in supermarkets while your local family farmer charges about 99 cents a pound. For peak fruits, gather the kids and head for the fields in the morning. Enjoy this special family activity and teach your children where our food comes from!

Cellar Talk: this week’s wine is the incomparable Chester Kidder Red Wine, 61% cabernet sauvignon, 29% sarah, 6% petit verdot, 4% cab franc. A red wine of excellence, the Chester Kidder is best paired with grilled pastrami-salmon, soft cheese-fruit plates and fresh organic composed salads “standing tall and glistening like a Chihuly Chandelier!” (Thanks Dale.)

Under the Long Shadows umbrella of wines, the Chester Kidder wine is the brain-child of Long Shadows branding guru, Allen Shoup and Long Shadow wine maker/curator, Gilles Nicault. This highly respected duo has succeeded in building and tending seven classic European-style wines using the personal recipes from internationally acclaimed European winemakers while sourcing grapes from this region.

Tasting notes for the 2006 Chester Kidder Red Wine begins with a classic swirl of the glass; long indigo legs wrap around the inner bowl. Nose buried deep in the glass, a perfusion of allspice and bing cherry opens the senses. With first sip, rich smears of chopped carob and fig coats the cheeks, ending in a long and winding tongue puddle in crushed violets. $27 a bottle in the tasting room: 509-526-0905.

Readers, until next week, “Eat Art, Drink Imagination!”

Pastrami Salmon Filets

1-teaspoon each: allspice, garlic granules, paprika, cracked black pepper, sugar, minced bay laurel Mix seasonings well, pat skinless salmon filets with sea- soning, refrigerator for 20 minutes; grill to perfection. Serve with a composed “Chihuly” style salad and a bottle of 2006 Chester Kidder red wine!

For more recipes, color photos and Moveable Feasts! Ca- tering ideas go to: www.chefjudithhenderson.com.