We just closed out the 20th Taste Washington, and I don’t know about y’all – but I drank a lot of wine over the past four days. Consider me wined out until further notice. I absolutely love Taste, but my favorite parts of it are definitely the events leading up to the Grand Tasting – the Red & White Party at Aqua by El Gaucho, the New Vintage at the Four Seasons, and, my very favorite food event of the year, Taste Washington on the Farm.
This magical event is now in it’s third year and it pairs you with a chef, a farm and a winery (what could be better?). This year, my group was taken to Tahoma Farms, an organic vegetable farm in the Puyallup Valley, where we got a tour of the farm (while drinking wine of course). This is such an intimate event where you’ll actually get to talk with the farmers. If you’re interested in knowing where your food comes from, this is definitely something you’ll enjoy.
We were paired with two of my favorite Washington wineries – EFESTE and Treveri Cellars. Treveri started us off with some lovely sparkling wine and we sipped and listened to farmers Dan and Kim Hulse talk about their commitment to earth friendly practices as we toured the farm.
Chef Nathan Crave of Palace Kitchen was our chef and he and his team prepared us an extravagant meal in a wood fired oven using vegetables from Tahoma Farms in every dish. This was an absolute delight to watch them prepare. I may have paid a little more attention to them cooking than the farm tour, but how often does Nathan Crave cook you lunch on a farm?
First Course: Mixed Kale Salad
I’m not exaggerating even a little bit when I say that this is one of the best salads I’ve ever had. Of course it was made fresh with kale and greens from the farm we were dining on, so I guess it makes sense. I could eat ten of these.
Second Course: Green Garlic and Nettle Pork Sausage
Just look how perfectly they got those eggs cooked in a wood fired oven.There really is no other word than perfect. This dish was absolutely delicious. It was served family style, and everyone around me, including myself, had seconds.
Third Course: Apple +Rhubarb Crisp
I’m not a huge dessert person. I’d much rather get my calories from cheese and starchy things than cake. That being said, this was one damn fine dessert. What Chef Crave and his team were able to do with this dish and the meal in general, was beyond impressive to me. We all know the boys at Palace Kitchen can cook, but they really brought it. Such a simple yet elegant meal, and that’s definitely the kind of food I want to be eating. I can’t wait until next year to see what delicious farm adventure Taste on the Farm will take us on!
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