Taste Washington - a four day food and wine festival bringing together some of the best bites and sips from across the region. Or as I like to call it - heaven. Saturday and Sunday’s Grand Tasting was truly fabulous as always, but I want to share my experience at a new and very special event that joined the Taste lineup this year: the Farm-to-Table Luncheons. Three very different, unique farm-to-table excursions were offered and I had the great pleasure of experiencing the one at Willie Greens Farm featuring delicious wines from Robert Ramsay Cellars and the culinary awesomeness of Sam Crannell of LloydMartin (which just happens to be one of my favorite restaurants).
The day began with the Taste crew shuttling us to the delightful Willie Green Farms in the Snohomish Valley. Wow - talk about a perfect day in a perfect setting! Our farm adventure began with some pours of red wine from Robert Ramsay Cellars followed by a tour of Willie Greens Farm and facilities from owner, Jeff Miller. It was any food lover’s dream to see the beautiful kale, lettuces, microgreens and sweet peas sprouting in the greenhouses on the farm. Sipping wine on a beautiful farm, this is the life...
Next came the deliciousness - Chef Sam Crannell’s menu. Ladies and gentlemen, I’m here to tell you that it was amazing; let’s break it down!
First Course: Grilled Macrina Bakery baguette topped with Beecher’s Pub Cheese, radish (from Willie Greens Farm of course) and sea salt. I won’t lie, I ate two!
Second Course: Potato leek soup with a Fonté Coffee bean cream. This combination may sound a bit unorthodox: Potato, leek… coffee? Well, it was positively stellar. All I can say is Chef Sam knows what he’s doing.
Third Course: Bring on the pork! I am by no means a vegetarian, but I don’t eat meat on a daily basis and rarely eat pork. Oh what a treat this was! Picture this: Chef Crannell grilling off a gorgeous slab of pork sous vide for over 14 hours beforehand. Yes, I said 14 hours, and yes, it was delicious, served along with fresh arugula from the farm.
Fourth Course: Macrina Bakery apple tart: so flaky and so delicious!
...From the food to the wine to the farm, this was truly a special event, one that I look forward to enjoying for years to come!
Written by: Stephanie Forrer
Photo Credits: Stephanie Forrer
