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Though I enjoyed everything about the open house, and frankly think it was our best ever I want to share a few of the highlights:
- Hayrides; who doesn't love a hayride (and now I get to drive the tractor!!!!!!!).
- Picking blackberries along the Chehalis River.
- Seeing Mack and Ben every year.
- Sitting under the apple trees with new friends.
- The kids, who share my unwavering enthusiasm for tractors and innately understand bigger is better.
- Gabriel, 5 yrs, who softly and sincerely informed me that, "your carrots are the best."
- The spry gal from Bellevue who told me she was so happy that we are not some fancy corporate attraction.
This last comment rings because, trust me, no one covets silk sheets more than I do. I would love some mornings to slip into a pima cotton shirt with 120 stitches/inch, snug a hand woven Italian tie around my neck and saunter across the lawn to my bold but understated vintage sports car, pausing just long enough to blow a kiss to my wife and pat my Labrador on the head as the sun glints. . . Ooops, sorry. But the the fact is we are the real deal, authentic hard working farmers. We spend the better part of our days the better part of the year growing food in a sane manner and trying at every opportunity to better the environment and support farming and agriculture. Rewarding work, that we are very proud of, and it is touching when someone recognizes that.
One quick note; try the baked endive. It is simple to prepare and has a different, complex taste.
Mike
ingredients
- 3 cucumbers
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp oil
- 1 small bunch minced fresh dill
- 1/2 tsp sugar
procedure
Scrub cucumbers but don't peel them. Score length wise with the tines of a fork. Slice them cross wise as thinly as possible. Salt them and let stand for one hour, then rinse them well and blot dry with a paper towel. Combine sour cream, vinegar, oil, sugar and dill. Pour this mixture over the cucumbers and onions, mix well, and refrigerate until chilled.
Chocolate Beet Cake
This is the cake recipe from the open house.
ingredients
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt (or less)
- Frosting of your choice (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups cooked, peeled, and puréed beets
- 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup oil (I like safflower)
procedure
Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare beets and set aside. Melt chocolate in a double boiler; remove from heat and cool slightly. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add sugar, oil, vanilla, melted chocolate, and beets, stirring well after each addition. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Combine dry ingredients with chocolate mixture and beat until just blended. Pour into a greased and floured 9x13" cake pan and bake for about 35 minutes. Cool before frosting.
ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 bunch endive
- 2 ounces (at least) gorgonzola
- bread crumbs
- salt & pepper to taste
procedure
Melt the butter in a sauce pan over low heat and stir in flour until a thick paste forms. Slowly add the milk to the flour stirring constantly to make a simple white sauce. Simmer while you cut endive in half, rinse, and steam in a double boiler until wilted, about 5 min.
Arrange endive, cut side up, in a shallow baking dish, and cover with white sauce. Break the cheese into small pieces and sprinkle over sauce, top with bread crumbs, then bake in a preheated oven at 400° for about ten minutes or until lightly browned.
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