Huckleberry lovers, mark July 25 on your calendars. That's the date of the third annual North Powder Huckleberry Festival in North Powder, Ore.

UNION GAP -- Sagelands Vineyard located along Interstate 82 south of Union Gap hasn't changed much on the outside over the years.

Weekly recipes for July 8, 2009

KIRKLAND -- If you're going to be on the coast in mid-July, plan to drop in on Kirkland Uncorked.

PROSSER -- Vine Heart Winery of Prosser advertises itself as making fruit-first wines in the countryside of Washington's wine country.

KENNEWICK -- This Fourth of July, let the neighbors grill hot dogs and burgers. You've got something just as American, and a lot more fun to toss on the barbie -- pizza.

WENATCHEE -- Head for Wenatchee on July 11 and enjoy wine tasting from nine local wineries while snacking on gourmet bites from nine of the region's top restaurants and caterers.

Looking for a new recipe for barbecue sauce? Need to update your grilling techniques? There's just one number you need: 800-474-5568.

Looking for some fun and entertainment? Planning a vacation and looking for a destination?

KENNEWICK -- Mark Twain once wrote that reports of his death were exaggerated, and the same may be true for the widely popular Stimson Estate Cellars wines.

Food in brief for June 24, 2009

Weekly recipes for June 24, 2009

Cougar Gold, Washington State University's signature cheese, took a gold recently.

Kids love eating what they make. If you doubt it, just talk to Bev Matthews of Pasco.

Even though I'm in my 70s, I still can enjoy a little "Roll in the Hay."

SEATTLE -- Have a young cook in the family? Consider enrolling them in one or more of a new series of classes being taught by the Tom Douglas Restaurants team of chefs at the Palace Kitchen in Seattle.

Weekly recipe for June 17, 2009

When someone says they're grilling dinner, what pops to mind? If you're like most people it's usually hamburgers and steaks -- both beef -- followed by chicken parts and hot dogs.

PULLMAN -- A lentil cooking contest with a category called "I Hate Lentils"?

PASCO -- Claar Cellars north of Pasco can trace its roots to an early-day Columbia Basin Project farm.

ALDERDALE -- Drive on down the dusty wine trail July 18 and help celebrate the fourth anniversary of the Horse Heaven Hills appellation. Seven wineries and vineyards -- several normally open by appointment only -- will be sampling their vintages from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Weekly recipes for June 10, 2009

PASCO -- Claar Cellars north of Pasco can trace its roots to an early-day Columbia Basin Project farm. Crista Claar Whitelatch’s parents, Russell and Audrienne Claar, developed the land on a bluff overlooking the Hanford Project in 1950.

If you love chocolate, you'll want to be in Seattle on July 12. That's the date of the Seattle Luxury Chocolate Salon, which features the finest in artisan, gourmet and premium chocolates and confections gathered from all parts of the West Coast.

LINCOLN CITY, Ore. -- Enjoy combining vacations with learning new culinary techniques? Head for the Oregon Coast this month or next, and you can add beachcombing and wave watching to your holiday activities.

Folks can enjoy a Texas-style barbecue deep in the heart of the Horse Heaven Hills at McKinley Springs Winery on June 13.

Weekly recipes for June 3, 2009

For decades people have been "puttin' on the Ritz" everything from peanut butter and jelly to smoked salmon. This year as the flaky, buttery-flavored cracker turns 75, it's birthday candles.

The slogan of Tucker Cellars of Sunnyside is family and quality. And bargain prices always have been part of the Tucker operation as well.

What's in a name? It could be a year's supply of maple-flavored syrup and $500, but that's only if you guess the first name of Mrs. Butterworth.

Weekly recipes for May 27, 2009

BENTON CITY — Hedges and Fidelitas wineries on Red Mountain probably are better known for their higher-end wines, but they also have some really good lower-cost offerings.

Ice cream lovers, would you like $100,000 to pursue your dream?

There's more to spring greens than broad leafy veggies. Spring brings us fresh green chives, scallions and young onions too.

BENTON CITY — Hedges and Fidelitas wineries on Red Mountain probably are better known for their higher-end wines, but they also have some really good lower-cost offerings.

Succulent berries, crisp greens, tender asparagus and more -- all fresh and grown right here in the Mid-Columbia -- is coming to a farmers market near you.

Weekly recipes for May 20, 2009

BAKER CITY, Ore. -- Learn how to cook as the pioneers did, over coals with Dutch ovens, at a workshop May 30.

Treat friends and family to award-winning burgers this summer. The top recipe in the 48th National Chicken Cooking contest held May 2 in San Antonio was a ground-chicken burger with an Asian flavor zing.

K Vintners of Walla Walla has made quite a splash at its modest, down-home winery along scenic Mill Creek Road.

Weekly recipes for May 13, 2009

When Teri Edwards and Serena Thompson wrote their cookbook, The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen, the two left a few things out of their recipes.

The 28th annual Prosser Wine and Food Fair has a new home and new time, but it'll still be on the second Saturday in August -- Aug. 8 this year.

Kiona Vineyards and Winery was founded in 1972 and has never lost sight of its credo -- to make consumer-friendly wines and sell them at consumer-friendly prices.

May is promising to be a tasty month. Wineries and breweries from Pasco to Prosser are holding special dinners featuring fresh caught seafood and Mediterranean-inspired dishes. All the meals include locally brewed beers or vintages from Mid-Columbia wineries.

Learn how to properly and safely preserve foods at home in a series of classes offered by the Washington State University Extension office.

Weekly recipes for May 6, 2009

YAKIMA -- Washington State University Yakima County Extension will be testing pressure canner dial gauges from 10 a.m. to noon May 21. The test is free.

PROSSER -- Learn to make Spanish tapas, some delicious Mediterranean dishes and how to bring out the best of farm-fresh Northwest produce in a series of cooking classes at Desert Wind Winery in Prosser.

The weather isn't the only thing that's heating up. No matter what season it is, red is always a flattering color, especially after eating something spicy.