FAIRBANKS - Valdez. In a word, wow! The lady of the house, the dogs and I enjoyed a true Alaska get-back-to-nature experience. Scenery, water, canoeing, camping and seclusion. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Well, maybe if Valdez were about 3 hours closer to Fairbanks … We returned from our trip just in time to witness the most amazing thundershowers and hail storms I’ve ever seen.

The rain showers and hail were spectacular. Oh, but the poor garden took a beating. The bright side?

We didn’t need to shred our fresh, garden grown lettuce for a salad — Mother Nature took care of that. Note to self: Put a greenhouse shelter over the garden next year. One more task for the “honey do” list.

Speaking of honey, I’ve been doing a little research on the local honey scene, (and no, I am not talking about the Saturday night bar scene). I have learned that the bee-flower relationship effects not only how honey tastes but also how honey looks. Honey color can range from almost clear to a dark, dark amber.

Alaska wildflowers and bees produce an incredible tasting honey. Couple some bees with fireweed and voila, fireweed honey.

I’ve found some of the best-tasting honey at the Farmers Market. (What are you waiting for? Get going, it’s open for a bit on Wednesdays.) This first recipe is a great way to start your day, and it might make for a tasty “first day back to school” breakfast. Try using local honey. And if you’ve gone berry picking, or have any berries left in the freezer from last year (yeah, right!), toss those in as well — blueberries, raspberries, whatever you’ve got.

As always, I enjoy hearing from you readers. If you have any comments or questions, shoot me an e-mail.

Darryl Allan is food and beverage director for Fountainhead Hotels, which includes Zach’s Restaurant at Sophie Station Hotel. He enjoys sharing his passion for fun, creative and great tasting food. E-mail him at fb@fdifairbanks.com. HONEY OAT CRISP WITH FRESH FRUIT

2 tablespoons of honey 1 cup of rolled oats 1/4 cup sliced almonds 1 tablespoon sugar 2 tablespoons butter 1 pint of fresh strawberries hulled and sliced 1 banana peeled and sliced 1/2 pint of fresh blueberries 1 cup of Greek, plain, vanilla or lemon yogurt (more if you like) extra honey for drizzling To make the honey oats, spread them out on a baking sheet with the almonds, sprinkle with sugar, dot with the butter and drizzle the two tablespoons honey over the top. Toast in the oven at 375º for about 15 minutes, until toasted.

Allow to cool.

Put the berries and bananas in a serving bowl, top with tasty and protein- packed Greek yogurt, sprinkle the honey oats over the top and drizzle with a little more honey. Serves a nice, healthful and flavorful breakfast for four.

This next recipe for Hot Honey Dressing (with a spicy kick) is delicious on a salad.

Try mixing in some crumbled bleu or feta cheese, and maybe some olives or marinated vegetables. Put in some crisp cucumber slices for a little extra crunch and you have dinner.

HOT HONEY DRESSING

2 teaspoons of honey 6 tablespoons wine vinegar 6 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 1 red chili pepper (Serrano or Jalapeno peppers work as well) seeded and chopped fine Whisk all ingredients together, letting the dressing sit for a while lets the flavors of the peppers blend with the other ingredients.

Honey Soy Dipping Sauce is wonderful with “Tempura” shrimp or thinly sliced salmon. Make your tempura from scratch or use the Krusteaz brand from the store. Make sure you use really cold ice water (ice cubes in the batter is ok). Make the batter just before you’re ready to use it and make sure your oil is clean and hot.

HONEY SOY DIPPING SAUCE

2 tablespoons of honey 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds 2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon grated ginger 1 juice of one lime 2 scallions finely sliced green and white parts Whisk all the ingredients together, then refrigerate until ready to use.

I like to use a microplane grater for the ginger. Toast the sesame seeds in a sauté pan over medium heat.

Once they start to toast they turn dark really fast, so keep an eye on them.

This last recipe is great on a salad and even better on some grilled sockeye salmon.

Try serving the salmon on a sauté of sliced snow peas, cabbage, and garlic.

Add a dash of white wine, and season with salt and pepper. Top with your salmon and spoon the honey-lemon dressing over the top.

Delicious.

HONEY-LEMON DRESSING

1/3 cup honey

1/4+ cup fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest 1 tablespoon chopped thyme 1 cup of olive oil Mix lemon juice, zest, honey, and thyme in food processor, slowly add olive oil. Season with kosher salt and course ground pepper.

Mimosas would be a great to serve with your Alaskan Honey Granola.

One wine that paired very well with the Honey Soy dipping sauce was “Kung Fu Girl” Riesling from Charles Smith Winery.

Either the 2008 or 2009 vintage, a delicious balanced Riesling, YUM.