Salmon & Bulgur Meatballs

sALmon wAs a mainstay of the indigenous people of the Wenatchee Valley. This recipe is from acclaimed Seattle chef Zoi Antonitsas. To grind the fish, chop it, freeze for 20 minutes, and then pulse in a food processor to a ground meat-like consistency.

Red Onions

2, finely chopped

Garlic finely chopped 2 cloves,

Feta 1/2 cup, crumbled

Eggs 3 extra-large

Ground Cinnamon 1/2 tsp

Ground Cumin 2 tsp

Aleppo Pepper or Red Pepper Flakes 1 Tbs

Lemons zest and juice of 2

Kosher Salt 2 Tbs

Freshly Ground Black Pepper 2 Tbs

Cooked Bulgur Wheat 2 cups

Fresh Italian Parsley chopped, 1/2 cup

Fresh Dill chopped, ¼ cup

Fresh Mint chopped, ¼ cup

Dried Currants 1 cup (optional)

Pistachios 1 cup, toasted (optional)

Ground Salmon or any Seasonal Fish 4 lbs

Tzatziki Sauce to serve

Greek Salad to serve

1 PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2 COMBINE all ingredients except fish and accompaniments in a large bowl and mix well.

3 ADD fish and mix until just combined. Shape mixture into golf ball–sized meatballs (about ¼ cup each) and place on the prepared baking sheet. (Do not overcrowd, or the meatballs will not brown properly.)

4 BAKE for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating once, until meatballs caramelize and the internal temperature reaches 145°F (be careful not to overcook).

5 INCREASE oven temperature to broil and cook for another 5 minutes until browned.

6 SERVE the meatballs with tzatziki sauce and Greek salad. Reprinted from Seattle Cooks: Signature Recipes from the

City's Best Chefs and Bartenders,

by Julien Perry (C) 2018 Reproduced by permission of Figure 1. All rights reserved.

crumpled folds of Jump Off Ridge beyond. On weekends, couples and families spread blankets on the grassy terrace beside the tasting room to watch the sunset and enjoy wine, charcuterie boards and live music as children and dogs play among vine rows and stands of lavender.

Douglas and Kimberly Bianchi's vineyard is still young — they acquired and replanted a former orchard in 2017 — but their wines are already earning acclaim. A standout for me was their silver-medal Columbia Valley Pinot Gris.

All wine and no food makes for a tipsy tourist and the Pybus Public Market is a great place to pick up fixings for a picnic in one of the waterfront parks along the 22-mile Apple Capital Loop Trail biking and walking path that hugs the Columbia River. The market is open daily and is a hub of local eateries, tasting rooms and specialty food vendors. On Saturdays in season from May to October, it is also home to the outdoor Wenatchee Valley Farmers' Market.

For sit-down dining, you won't go wrong at McGlinn's Public House. Located in the historic Garland Apartments building, it's a buzzing, casual place with a dedicated farm-to-table focus and a bar list that celebrates local craft beers and Washington State wines. I'm a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to pizza but in the Apple Capital of the World, felt obliged to try McGlinn's Organic Apple & Bacon Wood Fired Pizza. With sweet slices of apple, globs of gorgonzola, pops of roasted garlic and a blistery crust, it was magnificent.

The large number of farm workers from south of the border who support Wenatchee's agricultural economy brings added diversity to the cultural and culinary life of the valley. There are so many cantinas, taquerias, Latin markets and specialist grocery stores that Wenatchee publishes its own LatinAmerican Food Guide. You can pick up a free copy, and other local area information, at the Wenatchee Valley Visitor Center, which also happens to be the only visitor centre in the state that has its own wine tasting room. That's how they roll in Wenatchee!