You Say Snohomish/I Say Snoqualmie!

Saturday we spent the sunny, hot afternoon at South 47 farm learning firsthand what it was like to bring in the harvest, or, in our case, what it was like to pick a few beans for dinner, admire a gorgeous, cat-sized squash the color of celadon, pluck a huge bag of red onions from a hook in a greenhouse, and cut healthy sideshoots of basil from a very long row. Aromatic bliss! All this and some darling alpacas (not for picking!) too. Of course, early valley farmers didn't get to follow up a hard day's harvest with a late lunch in air-conditioned comfort at Racha Thai restaurant in Woodinville either. God we're spoiled!

Everything but the squash was eaten later in a quickie pasta beefed up with ripe heirloom tomatoes from our own garden.






Sunday we were back on the eastside hunting down farms in Carnation/Duvall by way of Snohomish (don't ask! but it was a lovely drive!) Again, bringing in the harvest at Fall City Farms this time--lacinato kale, Chioggia beets, lots of Bright Lights chard and broccoli. Perhaps early farmers of Snoqualmie Valley would have felt more at home dining in the friendly, goofy homestyle comfort surrounded by the kitsch collection at Armadillo BBQ in Duvall than in a suburban stripmall (like we did the day before). Next door at the antique store we picked up a bass and amp to add to the family's burgeoning collection of musical instruments.

I looked to Julia Child for inspiration in serving up the fresh-picked broccoli to the family. I made her hollandaise which was insanely easy and let's just say the kids ate all their veggies.

The chard and rest of the basil was eaten last night in a quinoa saute with onion and leftover hollandaise. Some ricotta and lot of parmesan. It was a little weird. It shoulda been pasta. But we'd eaten it all Saturday night!

Today I'm caramelizing all my onions for the freezer. I may roast the squash. The kale will be slowly simmered for a Tuscan stew. The trick is to get everything sorted out (frozen, eaten, etc.) before the next farm foray THIS weekend. Somebody's got to bring home the veggies!

Under the "gourdwalk" at Fall City Farm