2020 is Weird All Around

Adelia and crew are ready and waiting to start fishing! From left to right: Shelby, Celia (holding Vali) and Adelia.

As we wait for our salmon season to kick in in earnest, we’re keenly aware of how different things are this year for so many of us. We wish we could share a bit of this beautiful fresh air and nature-based lifestyle as a balm for all the stresses with everyone. As it is, we are sending our best wishes to all who are touched by recent events and hope for regeneration to come in a positive way from all these struggles.

Tollef’s parents live (where he grew up) four blocks from the rioting on Lake Street, and they said it was kind of scary and the world felt upside down. For the first time in 45 years in South Minneapolis, they said Lunds was closed during that time. We hope the small mom and pop stores on Lake street and the surrounding area can recover and not get swallowed up by developers and the non-stop not-cheap condo housing that is taking over Uptown. His brother had to commute through the chaos in the evenings to Abott Northwestern for his nursing shift on the covid ward. Even in the little town of Kodiak, our friends and neighbors participated in peaceful protests while our in-laws were quarantined after having been in contact with a positive covid case. Recent events have touched our families, but thankfully everyone is safe and sound and we hope the same for all of you reading this.

Meanwhile, we’ve been quarantining with our crew in Uganik and exercising our patience muscles because the fish have been slow to arrive. Perhaps our early run sockeye heard about the pandemic shoreside, so they are avoiding land this year and waiting for next year offshore. Currently we are on a long wait to fish again, letting the escapement build up to ensure a sustainable run. That's okay with us – sustainability is key – and despite all our early-season expenses, it's all part of the process that we are accustomed to. These quiet Junes without a lot of fishing aren’t new to us, unfortunately, and there is a silver lining to almost any situation.

As it is the gardens are getting extra attention and looking amazing already. Our gamble to grow red Russian kale starts early in the greenhouse back home and transplant to our sites in early May has paid off with the biggest plants we've ever had this early. We’re enjoying salads galore, with snap peas and zucchinis starting to come on in our greenhouse as well.

Then there are those pesky and very difficult long-term rehab projects which we never seem to have complete time for, like at Broken Point, Tollef’s site, with the broken stairs wobbling up the hillside. In 2010 there was a massive continuous rain storm that caused widespread landslides all over the island, including his stairs being washed to the beach in a big pile of mud and some intact sections. They were rapidly thrown back up the cliff by dragging and heaving 6 inches at a time with healthy doses of grunting cussing and cut hands. The steepest section has been leaning to starboard more and more and was in rough shape and barely usable. Nothing was plumb and level. Fortunately, we have a handyman jack and lots of time to use it this June. To support the level stairs, since posts don't sit on 50 degree slopes very well, Tollef drove ¾ inch steel rod into the earth and rock, then drilled out the stair posts to sit on the rods, resting partially on dirt and earth. New lumber was mostly out of the question, being marked up so high in Kodiak, so reuse and recycling was key.

Part of the stair rehab project at Broken Point

The old Broken Point stairs pre-mudslide on a long-ago 4th of July.

While the stairs aren't completed you can get a feeling for the difficulty of the job and satisfaction of nice level treads under your feet as you’re climbing or descending the 120+ stairs carrying a load of groceries or firewood.

Hiking Uganik Island

On the other side of the bay, Adelia and her crew have been doing a lot of subsistence fishing and canning salmon for winter eats. Smoking salmon before canning is a nice treat too, but we only do a light smoke as the canning process enhances the smoke flavor. Harvesting kelp for fresh salads has been a delightful addition to the summer, too.

On July 6th we will get back in the saddle to start fishing again for more of a mixed bag of salmon. We certainly would prefer to be making our year’s wages right now, but deepening our connection to our natural surrounding is fantastic too. Being bored with nothing to do is far from our reality. From hiking to hanging new net (the art of tying web onto the corkline and leadline with one million knots using a stout twine) and cooking outrageously fresh meals combining ingredients from the sea and land, we’re keeping busy and productive. See the end of this blog post for two recipes we’ve been devouring: a miso salmon marinade and a fresh seaweed salad recipe.

Back to projecting til we drop,

Tollef and Adelia

Miso Salmon Marinade from Doug (a former crew member)

2 T miso paste

1/3 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. sesame oil

1/4 c. tamari

Mix together, spread atop salmon fillets, let sit for 30 minutes if you have time, then bake, grill, or broil.

Everyone’s Favorite Alaria Seaweed Salad (from Shelby & Celia, current crew members)

Either use 3/4 oz. dried Alaria or about 1/2 to 3/4 of a ziploc of fresh Alaria you’ve harvested from the rocky tide line.

1 crisp tart apple, thinly diced

4 wild chives

3-4 Tbs. cilantro

1 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds

Marinade:

3 Tbs. rice vinegar

3 Tbs. tamari

2 Tbs. toasted sesame oil

1 tsp. agave

2 cloves finely minced garlic

1 Tbs. finely grated ginger with juices squeezed into marinade

If using fresh Alaria, wash and cut into 1/2 “ squares. For dried Alaria, first soak in a small amount of water to rehydrate, drain, squeeze excess water out, then cut into squares.

Combine salad ingredients in a bowl.

Combine marinade ingredients, then pour over salad ingredients and let stand 20-30 minutes before serving. Goes well with rice. Yum!