Reflections: Grayland Beach – Isle of Mildred

Stripes of clouds reflected in the sand on this beach walk at Grayland, Washington the weekend of the harvest moon. A range of weather befitting this setting at the very west edge of the continent took command of plans we might have made for fair-weather fun, but Sunday morning revealed the brilliant blue of a perfect last-of-summer day thrown into the mix of wind and drench that dominated this early fall getaway.

When in Grayland revel in your close proximity to the state’s freshest seafood. We enjoyed tasty meals at Blue Buoy and Bennet’s Seafood Shack in Westport on this visit, but dining choices along this stretch of coast are somewhat sparse, and businesses close early in these tiny coastal towns. The fish markets, though, are outstanding. My favorites are Seafood Connection at Float 8 in the harbor in Westport and Nelson Crab in Tokeland, two outposts on opposite ends of the 16-mile Cranberry Coast. On this trip one of our best meals came from Brady’s Oysters outside of Aberdeen, where we devoured a lunchtime smorgasbord of crackers and smoked fish–oysters (plain and wasabi-smoked), salmon, albacore, and crab legs–in our car parked in the Brady’s parking lot, too hungry and greedy to scout a proper picnic spot. At Seafood Connection we bought a pound of local spot prawns (flash frozen as we’d missed the end of prawn season) and fresh cooked crab caught earlier that same day.

Plan to buy fresh fish to eat at home when visiting Westport and if you are camping, all the better. Spread a plastic tablecloth or newspapers across the provided picnic table at the camp sites at Grayland, toss a salad with avocado and fruit (pear, berries, or grapes all work nicely) and serve each diner half a cooked crab with salad and bread and sliced lemon. Eaten next to a campfire with the roar of the ocean as a soundtrack, accompanied by a cold beer, glass of wine, or refreshing non-alcoholic beverage, this meal will be one for the memory books, a culinary and contentment high point.

For a less elaborate preparation, smoked salmon and crackers are really all you need to experience the nourishing bounty of this wild landscape, but don’t be afraid to go just a little further. Who knows, you may just achieve seafood nirvana.

Crab and Avocado Salad ala Westport
This is not so much a recipe as a set of ingredients that may be combined for an incredibly satisfying and healthy camping meal at the seaside

Lettuce, any kind, torn into bits in a large mixing bowl
Diced avocado (at least one)
Diced fresh fruit such as pear, berries, or grapes
Optional additional ingredients of your choice (I like chopped olives and raw broccoli)
Squeeze fresh lemon juice over greens and toss vigorously so avocado coats lettuce and other ingredients.

Serve with fresh, cooked crab and additional lemon slices

About the crab: Painstakingly picking crabmeat from the shell is all part of the fun, but you may purchase lump crabmeat at the fish market if you don’t want the extra effort of crab in the shell. It tastes very nearly identical with a lot less effort. Expect to pay $18 to $20 for a small half-pound container and to savor every precious morsel.