Coastal Cuisine - Fall 2011

Coastal Cuisine –

An Olympic Peninsula Edible Adventure

2 ❘ August 2011 ❘ COASTAL CUISINE: AN OLYMPIC PENINSULA EDIBLE ADVENTURE The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

Coastal Cuisine – An Olympic Peninsula Edible Adventure

August 17, 2011

EDITOR’S NOTELocal excellence .......................................2

TASTING NOTESCamaraderie Cellars: A Port Angeles winemaker’s pursuit of excellence ..............4

FOOD FOR THOUGHTA conversation with chef Dan Ratigan .........6

SAFFRONPeninsula grower offers spice fi t for a king .8

MOVABLE FEASTWorld-class mussels on the shores of Penn Cove .....................10

MISE EN PLACENorthwest comfort food .........................12

PUBLISHERScott Wilson [email protected]

EDITORJames Robinson [email protected]

ADVERTISING DIRECTORSara Radka [email protected]

DESIGN & LAYOUTMarian Roh [email protected]

COVER PHOTONicholas Johnson

PHOTOGRAPHERSAllison Arthur, Nicholas Johnson, Catherine Kapp, James Robinson

WRITERSAllison Arthur, Catherine Kapp, James Robinson

CONTACTThe Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

226 Adams St., Port Townsend, WA 98368360.385.2900 ptleader.com

contents

We launched Coastal Cuisine in February 2011, and two issues later, in just six short months, much has transpired. First, spring never really sprung, and summer, now more than half over, has left many peninsula residents with a serious jones for blue skies, sunshine and Vitamin D.

Locavores and local chefs keen to use products from the region also struggled this spring and early summer, often fi nding it challenging to obtain a variety of produce in quantities suffi cient for commercial use. Yet leafy greens such as chards and kales came on strong, luxurious fava beans also hit the shelves, and throughout July, all remained in ample supply. A late July stroll through an area farmers’ market showed that the problem is largely behind us, although those hoping for local corn – if the fi eld in my North Beach neighborhood of Port Townsend is any indication – are likely delusional. The corn there, as of July 25, hadn’t yet grown knee high.

But there are other high points.

Despite the weather, my sources in Grays Harbor County say there is hope this year for the Pacifi c blackberry crop, whereas last year, blackberries – Pacifi c or otherwise – were virtually nonexistent. For those who have feasted only on the big, brutish Himalayan variety, it’s time to experience blackberries at their most divine.

Beyond food, area residents and state offi cials celebrated July 1 with the launch of Port Townsend’s second new 64-car ferry, the MV Salish, which – along with the MV Chetzemoka– has brought East Jefferson County’s link to Whidbey Island back to historic levels, and ferry offi cials say ridership is booming. With people and goods plying the peninsula’s highways – marine and otherwise – Coastal Cuisine is poised to begin a road trip of its own.

Piggy-backing aboard the Getaway visitor guide, Coastal Cuisine now boasts a new smaller format and should enjoy much wider circulation – jumping from 20,000 copies distributed to 30,000. The magazine, tucked inside the Getaway as a special pull-out section, will ride aboard Washington state’s ferries and should appear in visitor’s centers, tasting rooms, restaurants and on newsstands across the peninsula. Hotel and other lodging guests should be able to fi nd a copy right at their fi ngertips.

And just in time.

There’s no time like early fall to eat, drink and explore the peninsula. Inside this issue readers are introduced to Don and Vicki Corson, owners and winemakers at Port Angeles’ Camaraderie Cellars, and to Dan Ratigan, executive chef at the Resort at Port Ludlow’s Fireside Restaurant, all of whom share a passionate commitment to local excellence and provide visitors much to savor during their stay on the peninsula.

With its cideries and wineries, bakeries, small farms, cheese makers, creameries and local meat and fi sh, the Olympic Peninsula has earned a place on the nation’s gastronomic map and sparked the idea for Coastal Cuisine: An Olympic Peninsula Edible Adventure, a quarterly magazine dedicated to celebrating the verve of dining and living on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula.

With roots in the slow-food movement and capitalizing on the bounty of the region, area chefs have created a signature cuisine that excites locals and draws visitors seeking regional dining experiences. Artisanal bakers and cheese makers also produce savory products and area winemakers are bottling exciting vintages using fruit from the state’s fi nest vineyards and AVAs. In 2007, area farmers, fi shers and restaurateurs created the Olympic Culinary Loop – a group dedicated to drawing culinary tourists to the peninsula and helping area producers get their goods to market. The fruits of their labors remind us why we’re lucky to live here and it’s what keeps visitors coming back.

With its focus on food and drink, Coastal Cuisine offers stories of the restaurateurs,

winemakers, cheese mongers, small farmers, artisans and fi shermen who live here. It is a magazine dedicated to capturing the

synergy between people, food and place – from the blackberry patch and vineyard, to the oyster bed and salmon stream, to the bakery, festival and farmers’ market.

Welcome.

≈ Jam� Robinson

Editor’s note

The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader COASTAL CUISINE: AN OLYMPIC PENINSULA EDIBLE ADVENTURE ❘ August 2011 ❘ 3

FULL SERVICE GROCERYExtensive Wine & Beer

Ohana SushiMarketplace Deli

Indoor Mini Storage

940 Lawrence Street, Port Townsend, WA, 98368360.385.0500 [email protected]

NewIce Cream Memories Made Here

Artisan Ice Cream

hand crafted fresh healthy local

627 Water Street, Port Townsend • 360-385-1156

Grilled Hotdogs & Sausages!

Outdoor Dining with a View

14 Varieties Hot Dogs and Sausages,

Grilled to Perfection!Including Organic Beef Jumbos

and “Chicago Dogs”

Open 11:30am - 6:30pm (closed Tues.)

Opposite Pope Marine Park

at Water & Madisonwww.dogs-a-foot.com

Regional Seafood witha Beautiful View

Voted Best Placefor Seafood 2010

Port Townsend’s FineSeafood on the Waterfront

Lunch & Dinner 7 days a week

Deck SeatingUpstairs in the Flagship Landing

1019 Water St. • 360-379-FISH (3474)www.fi nscoastal.com

Perfect Endings Cupcakes

CuPCakEs for all oCCasions

909 Water Street • 360-385-2332 www.perfectendingscupcakes.com

Phot

o by

Hila

ry M

cMul

len


Spend an afternoon with Don Corson, winemaker and owner of Camaraderie Cellars, and you may leave imbued

with the energy and inspiration to write the great American novel, climb a mountain or tackle the Ironman. And that’s not necessarily because wine lubricates the cogs of conversation, creativity and motivation, but because Corson is a man possessed with a passion and savoir vivre that drive him to pursue excellence in life, business and the winemaker’s craft. In short, his energy is infectious.

“If you’re not in love with the whole thing, it’s called work,” Corson says. “There’s nothing about it that I don’t enjoy.”

Clearly.

With Aaron Copland thundering in the bottling room and Mozart strings wafting out of the tasting room to the patio, Corson buzzes around the property, stopping to describe the nuances of oak aging in a room stacked to the ceiling with casks, beckoning hither and yon to art projects recently completed and those about to begin, and pausing again in the tasting room to pour a sample of a new bottling for a friend who recently arrived.

“Vicki and I both came from families that enjoyed food, enjoyed wine and celebrated hospitality,” Corson says. And the tasting room, with its cozy fi replace, and the patio, with its fountain, ample shade and seating, clearly pay homage to his roots. Rain or shine, indoors or out, time slips by easily at Camaraderie.

Founded in 1992 and located about three miles west of Port Angeles just off U.S. Highway 101, Corson and his wife, Vicki, have created a craft winery dedicated primarily to producing Bordeaux-style blends. To that end, Camaraderie bottles about 3,500 cases per year, utilizing fruit from Eastern Washington’s premier properties.

“We work with eight vineyards,” Corson says. “I love the variety. I work with Paul Champoux at Mercer Ranch in Horse Heaven Hills and Fred Artz on Red Mountain. When you put them together, they’re beautiful.”

Indeed. Camaraderie’s product line begins with a number of single varietal selections such as a cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, syrah and tempranillo. Although each offers a distinct fl avor profi le

Local proprietors, local excellence

tasting notes

true to the varietal, together they share common traits: fi rm tannins, food-friendly acidity and a sinuous thread of lush, velvety fruit. And it is this superb yet understated fruit profi le that forms the bedrock of Camaraderie’s wines and showcases Corson’s deft and delicate hand at extracting the best that the fruit and the vintage have to offer.

“The Grâce and Elégance are our fl agships in terms of pricing,” Corson says. “But one of the wines I fi nd to be most versatile is our cabernet franc. Cabernet franc is Washington’s answer to pinot noir. It has bright fruit, good acidity and this luscious blackberry-loganberry thing going on. Try it sometime with grilled salmon fi nished with a blackberry coulis ... good grief. Cab franc goes with Northwest cuisine six ways from Sunday. I age our cab franc in larger-format, older oak barrels just to maintain that lovely fruit.”

The tasting of Camaraderie’s single varietal selections sparks a question about Washington’s rising stars – in terms of varietals. In response, Corson grins like a Cheshire cat and scurries off to the tasting room. He returns, moments later, clutching a bottle. He trims the foil, pulls the cork and pours a taste – all without showing the label.

Don and Vicki Corson, owners of Camaraderie Cellars in Port Angeles have a passion for the winemaker’s craft.

With lush landscaping, two patios and an inviting tasting room, Camaraderie Cellars is a wine lover’s oasis, located just off U.S. Highway 101 about three miles west of downtown Port Angeles.

See CAMARADERIE, Page 14▼


“Rustic Dos Okies BBQ has wonderful Pulled-Pork, BBQ Chicken and Classic Sides for Lunch or Dinner.” – Wallstreet Journal

Choose Dos Okies for catering!Pulled Pork • BBQ Chicken •BBQ Beef

Home-Made Smoked SausagesPork Ribs • Piglets

World’s Best BBQ Beans • Corn Muffi ns

Best Barbeque Around?

We let our food do the talkin’ –

Come fi nd out for yourself!

Great Food & Great Fun!

2310 Washington St., Port Townsend • Open Tues. - Sat. from 11 am - 7 pm

www.dosokiesbarbeque.com

385-7669

A Taste of Port Townsend to Go! A Taste of Port Townsend to Go! Memorial Day thru Labor Day • Daily 12 - 5 • Sept - June • Fri - Mon • 12 - 5

1984 Hastings Avenue West • Port Townsend • 360.385.6899 • www.fairwindswinery.com

Winery hours March thru November: Friday - Sunday 12-5

June July August : 7 days a Week 12-5

360.379.6416 • 274 Otto Street, Building SPort Townsend • www.sorensencellars.com

Tour & Taste PORT TOWNSEND

WINE


food for thought

Dan Ratigan is the executive chef at the Fireside, located at the Resort at Port Ludlow. Originally

from upstate New York, Ratigan arrived in the Pacifi c Northwest at age 14 and worked his way through many of Seattle’s fi ner restaurants before taking the helm at the Fireside in 2007. Since then, Ratigan has worked to create seasonal menus that feature Northwest gastronomy at its best. To that end, Ratigan has forged relationships with many local farmers and purveyors in an effort to bring the freshest, highest-quality ingredients to the restaurant’s patrons. Ratigan’s approach is simple: Start with top-notch ingredients, prepare them carefully and send them out of the kitchen in meals that showcase the best the ingredients have to offer.

We had a cool, wet spring and early summer. Was it challenging to get local ingredients for the restaurant? Earlier in the season, I would stop by and see Karyn at Red Dog Farm before anything was coming out. I would drive by from time to time, and to see stuff coming out of the ground was exciting. But it’s like when you have a child. When you have a newborn, everyone tells you to enjoy these times because they go so fast, but when you have a newborn, it feels like every day is the same. Are they going to hold their head up, are they going to look around, are they going to move

their arms, are they going to crawl, are they going to speak? And that’s what this summer has been like. You drive by a farm, and there hasn’t been as much progress as

you would have hoped for. You think overnight that something should have

happened and it hasn’t.

Is there a crop that you are excited for because you have a menu idea? You know, I haven’t thought too far ahead. I know what’s coming

up, and I know some things that I’m going to do with

them, and different farms have different

things. I know I am excited for

the berries to come from Finnriver. Finnriver Farm berries are just amazing. You know, a

berry out of your garden

is a hundred times better than

any berry from the store. Nash Farms also has fava beans coming out. Fava beans are one of those things that have such a great fl avor profi le and a great fi rm texture. They almost come in an elegant pod. If you break open a pod, the inside of the pod is almost lined with fur. It’s like the gourmet bean – these things are wearing a fur coat.

A conversation with chef Dan Ratigan

Is there something you like to make with fava beans? I like to make different vegetable ragoûts, things like that, just very simple. The blanched beans, maybe some fresh tomatoes, a little salt and pepper, fresh herbs, some shallots, some garlic, a splash of white wine; cook that in so they’re al dente, and at the end, fi nish it with a pat of butter. Pull it all together so it’s nice and creamy ... what an amazing side dish.

Is there a local ingredient that you really enjoy working with, something that exceeds your expectations? Gosh, it would be hard to say, because pretty much everything that comes out of these local farms is amazing. I feel like they put so much passion into their produce, and they put the same kind of passion into the crops as I do in putting the dish together. Those are the kind of people I continue to deal with, and you can see the quality in the end result.

What was one of your fi rst food-related jobs? I got strawberries in yesterday from a little farm in Puyallup. When I was a kid, I lived in Tacoma and I remember when we were 13 or 14 years old, we could work in the summer time. This little bus would come and take us from our area in Tacoma and bring us out at the crack of dawn to Puyallup, where we would go pick strawberries. I think I have some mixed emotions in there, because I remember the fi rst couple times I’d go out there. The berries would be so good that you’d eat so many that, on the way home, you were almost sick because you only picked three fl ats – and you got 50 cents a fl at – and you’d walk home with a buck-fi fty and a stomachache.

How do you approach cooking? I like to do as little to the food as possible without screwing it up. I don’t want to over-present the food. First of all, I want it to be consistent, regardless of who’s in the kitchen. Second, I want to be able to teach my staff how to do it, and I want to be able to teach them how to do it exactly the way it should be done. Then, I want to be able to turn around and go and enjoy myself in the dining room and know that what is coming out of the kitchen is exactly what we agreed upon. I have to walk through my dining room every day. And I have to go out there with my chin up and not say, “Was everything OK?” Instead, I like to go out there and say, “That pork was


Dan Ratigan is the executive chef at the Fireside, located at the Resort at Port Ludlow. Originally

from upstate New York, Ratigan arrived in the Pacifi c Northwest at age 14 and worked his way through many of Seattle’s fi ner restaurants before taking the helm at the Fireside in 2007. Since then, Ratigan has worked to create seasonal menus that feature Northwest gastronomy at its best. To that end, Ratigan has forged relationships with many local farmers and purveyors in an effort to bring the freshest, highest-quality ingredients to the restaurant’s patrons. Ratigan’s approach is simple: Start with top-notch ingredients, prepare them carefully and send them out of the kitchen in meals that showcase the best the ingredients have to offer.

We had a cool, wet spring and early summer. Was it challenging to get local ingredients for the restaurant? Earlier in the season, I would stop by and see Karyn at Red Dog Farm before anything was coming out. I would drive by from time to time, and to see stuff coming out of the ground was exciting. But it’s like when you have a child. When you have a newborn, everyone tells you to enjoy these times because they go so fast, but when you have a newborn, it feels like every day is the same. Are they going to hold their head up, are they going to look around, are they going to move

their arms, are they going to crawl, are they going to speak? And that’s what this summer has been like. You drive by a farm, and there hasn’t been as much progress as

you would have hoped for. You think overnight that something should have

happened and it hasn’t.

Is there a crop that you are excited for because you have a menu idea? You know, I haven’t thought too far ahead. I know what’s coming

up, and I know some things that I’m going to do with

them, and different farms have different

things. I know I am excited for

the berries to come from Finnriver. Finnriver Farm berries are just amazing. You know, a

berry out of your garden

is a hundred times better than

any berry from the store. Nash Farms also has fava beans coming out. Fava beans are one of those things that have such a great fl avor profi le and a great fi rm texture. They almost come in an elegant pod. If you break open a pod, the inside of the pod is almost lined with fur. It’s like the gourmet bean – these things are wearing a fur coat.

with chef Dan Ratigan butter. Pull it all together so it’s nice and creamy ... what an amazing side dish.

Is there a local ingredient that you really enjoy working with, something that exceeds your expectations? would be hard to say, because pretty much everything that comes out of these local farms is amazing. I feel like they put so much passion into their produce, and they put the same kind of passion into the crops as I do in putting the dish together. Those are the kind of people I continue to deal with, and you can see the quality in the end result.

What was one of your fi rst food-related jobs? I got strawberries in yesterday from a little farm in Puyallup. When I was a kid, I lived in Tacoma and I remember when we were 13 or 14 years old, we could work in the summer time. This little bus would come and take us from our area in Tacoma and bring us out at the crack of dawn to Puyallup, where we would go pick strawberries. I think I have some mixed emotions in there, because I remember the fi rst couple times I’d go out there. The berries would be so good that you’d eat so many that, on the way home, you were almost sick because you only picked three fl ats – and you got 50 cents a fl at – and you’d walk home with a buck-fi fty and a stomachache.

How do you approach cooking? little to the food as possible without screwing it up. I don’t want to over-present the food. First of all, I want it to be consistent, regardless of who’s in the kitchen. Second, I want to be able to teach my staff how to do it, and I want to be able to teach them how to do it exactly the way it should be done. Then, I want to be able to turn around and go and enjoy myself in the dining room and know that what is coming out of the kitchen is exactly what we agreed upon. I have to walk through my dining room every day. And I have to go out there with my chin up and not say, “Was everything OK?” Instead, I like to go out there and say, “That pork was

See RATIGAN, Page 14▼


Large selection ofSake • Beer • WineDine-in or Take-out

HANAZONOASIAN NOODLE

Traditional Japanese Cuisinewith a contemporary twist.

225 Taylor Streetnext to The Rose Theatre

360-385-7622

Fountain CaféFresh, creative seafood, pasta and steak dishes.

Gourmet Northwest cuisine with international flair.

Lunch and Dinner Every Day

11:30-3 and 5-9

Fri-Sat ’til 9:30-ish

Locals’

favorite for

30 years

920 Washington Street Downtown Port Townsend

just up from the Haller Fountain

360-385-1364

Nickolas Yates Sole Proprietor

Fresh Northwest Seafood & Steakhouse

established 2001

117-B East First Street • Port Angeles • 360.417.6929 • www.michaelsdining.com

Michael’s combines Fresh Organic Produce, Local Wild Caught Seafood and Free Range Meats

together with great Wine and Spirits.

2330 Washington St.Port Townsend, WA

Open 7 days a week 379-9275www.muskanpt.com

LunchBu� et $8.95

Muskan IndianRESTAURANT & BAR

SPEC

IALS

EVEN

TS

V I D E O S

REVIEWS

MEN

U

www.muskanpt.com

Daily Happy Hour 4-6pmHalf-price drinks and appetizers

Authentic Indian Food

8 ❘ August 2011 ❘ COASTAL CUISINE: AN OLYMPIC PENINSULA EDIBLE ADVENTURE The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader COASTAL CUISINE: AN OLYMPIC PENINSULA EDIBLE ADVENTURE ❘ August 2011 ❘ 9 8

It was Jim Robinson’s relationship with special women in his life that led him to grow saffron on some

land between Port Angeles and Sequim, where he grew up. It’s the sweet, earthy, warm fl avor of saffron that’s drawn chefs around the Northwest to the unique spice Robinson sells for $30 a gram.

Robinson still remembers the hot cross buns infused with saffron his Liverpudlian-Irish grandmother made. Saffron-infused rice was a staple in his home.

“The saffron buns, sometimes studded with raisins, that I enjoyed in England as a child are as sweet today in my memory as they were back then to taste,” he says.

But it was years later when he had a craving for arroz con pollo – a Spanish rice and chicken dish – that growing saffron became almost a necessity. His wife, Kathy, set out to fi nd saffron, the vital ingredient in the recipe. What she found were big, seemingly empty jars with little pieces of paper at the bottom. She asked the grocer what was wrong with the saffron spice factory.

And that’s when she learned what Robinson has since discovered: There are no saffron spice factories. Saffron is not easy to grow, and its harvest is very labor intensive; for many years, the spice was on par with gold in value.

Saffron is the stigma of a pretty little lavender crocus, Crocus sativus. Its stigma, long and red, is harvested at a most contrary time of year, after blooming in October and November.

“It’s really a crop that puts stoop in the labor. It takes 75 to 150 blooms to make a half-gram packet,” Robinson says.

Although he started growing saffron in 1984 – next to his main crop of drought-tolerant succulents – it wasn’t until 2005 that he started selling it at the Port Townsend Farmers Market.

“I had three-quarters of an ounce for sale that year, and I sold out in one day in the Port Townsend market. Then I couldn’t give the stuff away to save my soul for the next two years, until I hooked up with people at the Seattle Chefs Collaborative,” he said.

A gram of Robinson’s saffron costs $30. That’s $840 an ounce, a little more than half the value of gold at today’s rates, he notes.

Saffron stories

Again, it was a woman who entered his saffron-loving life that kept saffron a focus of Phocas Farms.

Lisa Nakamura, owner of Allium restaurant on Orcas Island, worked at the Herbfarm in Woodinville several years ago and recalls being dispatched “like a hound dog” to fi nd the farmer who grew saffron on the Olympic Peninsula – essentially within 100 miles of the Herbfarm.

For Nakamura, who now uses the saffron in her clam chowder, it is Robinson’s story that makes her journey to fi nd the ancient,

unusual and pricey spice all the more interesting.

“He’s growing it on land where he was born, and I fi nd that remarkable,” said Nakamura, who wishes her dishes could talk and tell the stories about the food she serves. That, she said, would be delicious.

It was also interesting to Nakamura that

Robinson told her he had a bumper crop that year – all of 8 ounces.

Once Nakamura brought back Robinson’s saffron and other chefs discovered it, the world of “Pugetopolis,” as he calls it, opened for him. The Herbfarm is a regular client now.

In addition to the Port Townsend market, Robinson also is a regular vendor at the Ballard Farmers Market in Seattle. Sara Lucchese of Pasteria Lucchese, which makes and sells artisan pasta in Ballard, says Robinson’s saffron beautifi es her tagliatelle with a sassy yellow. And she credits that distinct color with an increase in orders from Ray’s Boathouse in Seattle.

Bruce Naftaly, owner of Le Gourmand restaurant in Ballard, discovered saffron by overhearing a conversation Robinson was having with another woman. Naftaly was intrigued. Since his introduction to saffron, Naftaly has infused the spice in a mussel dish with nettles and white wine, but more recently was contemplating using it with spring rabbit.

“It’s penetrating, pungent and highly perfumed,” Naftaly says. “It’s hard to describe.”

When Robinson characterizes saffron, it sounds like he’s describing Mother Earth herself.

“Do you know the sweet, earthy aroma that fi lls the air when recently mown hay begins drying in the fi elds, the fragrance spreading across the rural landscape, the warm summer nights fl avored with the scent?

“Saffron has this silky, honey taste going on. It’s gorgeous,” he says.

“I had a gentleman come by from Pakistan. He tells me my saffron is the best-tasting saffron he’s ever had in his life, better than the best Kashmiri [saffron],” he says, pleased that others enjoy his product.

Loving attention

Like gold, saffron is not easily acquired.

When Robinson ordered four dozen saffron croms – they look like small bulbs, but aren’t – he initially was sent regular crocus bulbs. He had to send them back to the wholesaler twice to get the correct corms for Crocus sativus, a lavender fl ower that resembles the fall-blooming Crocus speciosus, which is prolifi c in the

Saffron: Distinctive spice enlivens food, relationships

Left: A saffron plant, also known as Crocus sativus.

Photo courtesy of Phocas Farms

Jim Robinson of Phocas Farms holds saffron corms, which look much like a garden-variety crocus bulb. It takes 75 to 150 blooms to make a half-gram packet of saffron. Robinson calls himself a “croker,” an old-fashioned name for someone who grows and harvests the spice saffron.

Humans have cultivated and seasoned with saffron for thousands of years, using it to spice up fi sh, pasta and even sweet and savory breads.

Saffron is the stigma of the Crocus sativus plant. Long and red, it is harvested by hand after the fl ower has bloomed in October and November. Saffron, which dries naturally and quickly, sells for $30 a gram.

8 ❘ August 2011 ❘ COASTAL CUISINE: AN OLYMPIC PENINSULA EDIBLE ADVENTURE The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader COASTAL CUISINE: AN OLYMPIC PENINSULA EDIBLE ADVENTURE ❘ August 2011 ❘ 9

unusual and pricey spice all the more interesting.

“He’s growing it on land where he was born, and I fi nd that remarkable,” said Nakamura, who wishes her dishes could talk and tell the stories about the food she serves. That, she said, would be delicious.

It was also interesting to Nakamura that

Robinson told her he had a bumper crop that year – all of 8 ounces.

Once Nakamura brought back Robinson’s saffron and other chefs discovered it, the world of “Pugetopolis,” as he calls it, opened for him. The Herbfarm is a regular client now.

In addition to the Port Townsend market, Robinson also is a regular vendor at the Ballard Farmers Market in Seattle. Sara Lucchese of Pasteria Lucchese, which makes and sells artisan pasta in Ballard, says Robinson’s saffron beautifi es her tagliatelle with a sassy yellow. And she credits that distinct color with an increase in orders from Ray’s Boathouse in Seattle.

Bruce Naftaly, owner of Le Gourmand restaurant in Ballard, discovered saffron by overhearing a conversation Robinson was having with another woman. Naftaly was intrigued. Since his introduction to saffron, Naftaly has infused the spice in a mussel dish with nettles and white wine, but more recently was contemplating using it with spring rabbit.

“It’s penetrating, pungent and highly perfumed,” Naftaly says. “It’s hard to describe.”

When Robinson characterizes saffron, it sounds like he’s describing Mother Earth herself.

“Do you know the sweet, earthy aroma that fi lls the air when recently mown hay begins drying in the fi elds, the fragrance spreading across the rural landscape, the warm summer nights fl avored with the scent?

“Saffron has this silky, honey taste going on. It’s gorgeous,” he says.

“I had a gentleman come by from Pakistan. He tells me my saffron is the best-tasting saffron he’s ever had in his life, better than the best Kashmiri [saffron],” he says, pleased that others enjoy his product.

Loving attention

Like gold, saffron is not easily acquired.

When Robinson ordered four dozen saffron croms – they look like small bulbs, but aren’t – he initially was sent regular crocus bulbs. He had to send them back to the wholesaler twice to get the correct corms for Crocus sativus, a lavender fl ower that resembles the fall-blooming Crocus speciosus, which is prolifi c in the

Northwest. Robinson lost a lot of croms – to slugs that slobbered on them, rodents that noshed on them and deer that browsed them to the ground – before he fenced his property and learned how to deal with invaders.

And then there’s the harvesting.

“It all has to be done by hand. [The stigma] rejects the touch of metal,” says Robinson.

“The fl ower has grown and been used by man for three millennia. For 3,000 years, we’ve been eating saffron on this planet.”

Because the fl owers don’t produce viable seeds and must be cultivated by hand, Robinson says, “what I grow is as close genetically to what Alexander the Great would have used. He sprinkled the saffron into his bath on his way to Babylon and emerged a golden-skinned god king.”

Robinson hasn’t tried that yet. For now, he’s contemplating expanding production just a bit.

“I would like to get production up to say a half-pound or three-quarters of a pound

a year. I think going much beyond that would tax me.

“I’ve been going to Chefs Collaborative events since 2008, and this year I was a bride rather than a bridesmaid. I had three potential customers, each of whom would have been happy to buy 100 grams from me at $30 a gram. One of those customers would have wiped out the better part of last year’s crop,” Robinson says.

The bottom line for Robinson is to produce a local product and have a relationship with the people who use it.

“I’m a big fan of locavorism. My goal was to hook up with a few chefs who had an appreciation for the product I make and establish some long-term relationships.”

It all harks back to the relationships with his mother, grandmother, wife and, yes, even chefs. Saffron has fl avored his life with good food and good friends.

≈ Story & photos by Allison Arthur

Saffron: Distinctive spice enlivens food, relationships

Left: A saffron plant, also known as Crocus sativus.

Photo courtesy of Phocas Farms

Jim Robinson of Phocas Farms holds saffron corms, which look much like a garden-variety crocus bulb. It takes 75 to 150 blooms to make a half-gram packet of saffron. Robinson calls himself a “croker,” an old-fashioned name for someone who grows and harvests the spice saffron.

Humans have cultivated and seasoned with saffron for thousands of years, using it to spice up fi sh, pasta and even sweet and savory breads.

Saffron is the stigma of the Crocus sativus plant. Long and red, it is harvested by hand after the fl ower has bloomed in October and November. Saffron, which dries naturally and quickly, sells for $30 a gram.


movable feast

Located in Coupeville, on the shores of Whidbey Island’s peaceful Penn Cove, Toby’s Tavern is the place to enjoy savory mussels from one of the planet’s premier mussel-growing regions.

Housed in the former Whidbey Island Mercantile Company building, circa 1875, on Coupeville’s waterfront, Toby’s is a funky local pub of the highest order – as evidenced by a stuffed sailfi sh hanging above the bar (a bar whose pedigree dates back to the Fort Worden offi cers club circa 1900), draft Guinness pints and the pub’s own Parrot Red Ale on tap – all of which means you can leave your tie, sport coat and those under 21 years old at home.

Instead, bring an appetite and be prepared to roll up your sleeves and devour some of the sweetest, most delicate mussels around.

Toby’s cooks prepare the mussels in the marinière style, i.e., steamed in white wine with butter, garlic, onion and “a heavy dose of basil,” said Toby’s co-owner John Rodriguey. The mussels come in 1-pound ($12) or 2-pound ($21) servings with garlic toast. The smaller option makes a nice starter for two to share, although true mussel hounds should order one for themselves.

With Toby’s location on Penn Cove, freshness is

never a problem.

“Mussels have a short shelf life, so we get them in three times a week, which allows us to keep fresh stock on hand at all times,” Rodriguey said. “Other mussels around the world have seasonal limitations, but we don’t. We have access to

them year-round.

“One of the things that’s also different about Penn Cove mussels is the amount of feed in the water,” Rodriguey said. “Mussels feed on plankton,” and the Skagit River – which drains into Skagit Bay just north of Penn Cove, Rodriguey explained – drives a steady stream of nutrients into Penn Cove’s waters, creating prime habitat for the cove’s diminutive but sweet, velvety smooth, thin-shelled mussels.

“It gives you a light-shelled, meaty mussel,” Rodriguey said.

Beyond mussels, Toby’s offers house-fi lleted fi sh and chips, prime rib and other nightly specials, and 11 beers on tap – including its own Parrot Red Ale, brewed in Anacortes. The tavern also boasts some of “the best burgers on the planet.” Try the beer-batter-dipped onion rings. Burger prices start at $8, with dinner menu items topping out at $21.

Getting there

Whidbey Island and Coupeville are an easy afternoon, evening or day trip from Port Townsend.

The journey begins from the ferry terminal downtown, where travelers board one of two new 64-car ferries – either the MV Chetzemoka or the MV Salish – for the 30-minute crossing to Keystone Harbor on Whidbey Island. (Note: Ferry schedules describe the route as the Port Townsend–Coupeville run. However, neither boat sails to Coupeville. Coupeville is on the other side of the island, and travelers will need transport to explore the island beyond the Keystone ferry terminal.)

For walk-on passengers, Whidbey’s Island Transit provides free service from the Keystone ferry terminal to Coupeville. On weekdays, the Route 6 bus crosses the island, and on Saturdays, it’s the Route 1 bus. The Route 6 option is a 20-minute bus ride to the Whidbey General Hospital on N. Main Street and then a half-mile walk into Coupeville. Saturday’s Route 1 option is a 10-minute bus ride to the Coupeville Park-and-Ride followed by a 1.5-mile walk into Coupeville.

Those with private transport have many options for touring the island, however; the last ferry back to Port Townsend leaves the Keystone terminal at 9:15 p.m. Plan ahead. Summer boats often fi ll up, and for those traveling by private vehicle, reservations are encouraged.

≈ Story by James Robinson

World-class mussels on the shores of unpretentious Penn Cove

Inside Toby’s Tavern on Whidbey Island, patrons can shoot pool, enjoy a pint of the pub’s Parrot Red Ale and feast on fresh Penn Cove mussels. Photo by Nicholas Johnson

Housed inside the former Whidbey Island Mercantile Company building, Toby’s Tavern is a Coupeville institution.

Photo by James Robinson


Pane d’AmoreArtisan Bakery

Award-winningBread & Pastry

Port Townsend, WA. 360.385.1199Sequim, WA. 360.681.3280

Bainbridge Isl., WA. 206-780-1902

www.panedamore.com

Fresh | Local | OrganicSeasonal | Sustainable

The Olympic Peninsula Loop Culinary

Tourism Association Invites You to

Be a Culinary Explorer!

www.OlympicCulinaryLoop.com

Plan your culinary itinerary and experience Olympic Coast Cuisine – all within reach of Highway 101!

pe

ninsula

cidery loop

alpenfire cider360.379.8915alpen� recider.comalpen� recider.com

eaglemountwinery & cidery

360.732.4084eaglemountwinery.com

finnriver farm & cidery

360.732.6822� nnriver.com

8 First Place Best Foods Awards

The Olympic Peninsula’s

Destination Sushi Bar

1208 Water Street (opposite ferry dock) Port Townsend

Ichikawa-PT.com360-379-4000


mise en place

The Pacifi c Northwest culinary scene is so hot these days, it’s sometimes downright dizzying. But after all those sea squirts topped with fern fronds in a dark chocolate chipotle mole sauce with kale chips, I sometimes fi nd myself longing for the pleasures

of a home-cooked meal simply prepared with fresh, local ingredients. Call it “country cooking,” “slow food” or “comfort food,” it’s all about getting back to basics. And that’s something that comes naturally to cooks here on the Olympic Peninsula, with our vast natural pantry of everything from fresh game, seafood and mushrooms to outstanding fresh farm produce, grass-fed beef and locally raised free-range chickens.

Easy to prepare, these dishes are delicious enough for a dinner party yet simple enough for a family supper. For this roasted chicken recipe – and for maximum fl avor – try a locally grown

free-range chicken. And if you’re lucky enough to come into some wild mushrooms, add them to the stuffi ng. Or, try the locally grown white mushrooms from Moonhill Mushrooms in Brinnon.

≈ Photos and recipes by Catherine Kapp

and adding a little more water as necessary. (This helps keep the bird moist.) Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees and cook for an additional 15 to 25 minutes to brown. Bird is cooked when juices from thigh run clear when pierced with a fork or register 180 degrees on a cooking thermometer.

Remove chicken to a serving plate and allow to rest while you deglaze the pan with the Marsala or port. (Remove excess fat from pan with a spoon or baster.) Place pan on stove burner, add the wine and scrape up all the brown bits sticking to the bottom and sides of the pan. Add any juices that have accumulated on the serving plate.

Northwest comfort food

Roasted Herbed Chicken with Mushroom Stuffi ngMushroom Stuffi ngMakes enough for 2 large chickens Preparation time: about 20 minutes

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter1 1/2 cups onion, fi nely chopped1 1/2 pounds mushrooms (either domestic white mushrooms, wild mushrooms or a combination) cleaned and fi nely chopped1/2 teaspoon sea salt1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1 large clove garlic, crushed1 teaspoon fresh thyme, fi nely chopped1/4 cup dry Marsala or port1 egg, beaten1 cup panko or dried breadcrumbsPinch of cayenne 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1. Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and transparent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add chopped mushrooms and continue cooking until liquid is released.

3. Add sea salt, pepper, garlic, thyme and Marsala. Raise temperature and reduce until

mixture is the consistency of cooked oatmeal.

4. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit.

5. When mixture is tepid, stir in beaten egg and panko. Correct seasoning, adding more thyme, salt and pepper to taste as well as the cayenne and lemon juice.

Roasted Herbed Chicken Serves 4 to 6 Preparation time: about 2 1/2 hours

Oven temperature: set to 350 degrees

One 5- to 6-pound chickenHandful of fresh herbs such as basil, thyme, rosemary, tarragon, marjoram, chervil or bay 3 or 4 very thin lemon slices (optional)

1/2 cup dry Marsala or port1. Rinse the chicken inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Pull out excess fat from the vents and discard.

2. Carefully slip your fi ngers between the skin and fl esh of the chicken to loosen it over the breast, thigh and leg areas.

3. Place fresh herbs and optional lemon slices between the skin and the meat. Stuff the bird and either truss it or close the vent with skewers.

4. Place the chicken on rack in roasting pan and pour in water to a depth of about 1/2 inch.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 2 hours, basting with the pan juices from time to time

Simple Gratin � P� ato� and Ca� � sServes 6 Preparation time: about 30 minutes

2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks 1 pound carrots, peeled and trimmed and cut into 4-inch chunks3 Tablespoons unsalted butter 1/3 cup heavy creamFreshly grated nutmeg (1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon or to taste)Sea salt 1/2 cup panko or dried breadcrumbs1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

1. Place carrots and potatoes in a large pan of salted water and cook over medium fl ame until tender.

2. Drain, then mash with 3 tablespoons butter and heavy cream.

3. Season to taste with nutmeg and sea salt.

4. Place in buttered baking pan or casserole, top with cheese and crumbs and dot with additional tablespoon of butter. Preheat broiler.

5. Place under broiler and broil until top forms a crust and is well browned, about 30 seconds. Serve immediately.


Jefferson County Farmers MarketsJefferson County Farmers Markets

Saturdays SundaysWednesdaysPort Townsend Chimacum

3-6pm June- Sept Polk St. Uptown

9am-2pm Apr- Dec Tyler St. Uptown

10am-2pm May- OctRhody & Center &

FARMERS’ MARKET

local farms food music arts crafts more*****www.jeffersoncountyfarmersmarkets.org (360) 379 9098 [email protected]

Transforming the WorldOne Sip at a Time

Since 1999

World-Class Specialty TeasPT Crafted Organic Herbals

Herbal Elixirs & EssencesUnique & Beautiful Teawares

Live Organic Pies, Energy Bars& Artisan Chocolates ...

924 Washington PT, 379-1222wildsageteas.com

Transforming the WorldTransforming the WorldOne Sip at a TimeOne Sip at a Time

FOODSTAMPS

We now o� er gourmet wraps,

baked spicy chicken wings with 4

homemade sauces, giant tacos, 8”

personal pizzas, gluten-free dough,

take-n-bake enchiladas.

We make our dough andsauces fresh daily.

WE CAN BAKE ANYTHINGON OUR MENU FOR YOU!

814 South “C” Street, Port AngelesPizza by the slice!

www.VanGoes.com

Discover your Northwest here ...The Fireside

T R P L

B G FC C C D

Must present coupon. Expires 12/31/11


“Guess what it is,” he says.

A swirl and sniff reveal a core of smoke and pepper, surrounded by red berry and cola notes. There is something Mediterranean about the wine, and southern Rhône varietals – particularly syrah – come to mind.

“You’re one-third right,” Corson says.

He turns the bottle to display the label: 2008 Madrona, a blend of syrah, merlot and Italy’s dolcetto.

“This is your answer,” he says. “Back in the ’70s, it was riesling. Then it was, ‘Wait until you try the merlot.’ Then it was chardonnay, and then it was cabernet. The answer is not varietals, but blends.”

“[The varietals] are stars that have not gone away, but the constellation is growing and growing and growing,” Corson says, noting that tempranillo is coming on strong in Washington. “Here we have all these

varietals, but the winemaker’s art has always been in the blend.

“These are wines that are meant to go with our local cuisine,” Corson continues as he waves a hand over the open bottles poured during the tasting. “That’s what it has been about since the beginning.”

Much has changed since Camaraderie began in 1992. Culinary tourism has exploded not just across the Olympic Peninsula, but also around the country and the world, and Washington vin iculture, in both quality and quantity, has grown exponentially. Embracing this new gastronomical milieu, Corson remains committed to excellence and showcasing the best of the Olympic Peninsula and the region. And while some area wineries have scaled back on new production, Corson is forging ahead. Pallets of his recently bottled new vintage stand crated, wrapped and ready for shipment to wine shops, wine club members and restaurants across the country.

“The only way to survive is not just by making wine, but by making wine that is excellent by anybody’s standards,” Corson says. “We [here on the peninsula] are a microcosm of not just the best of the Pacifi c Northwest, but of the West Coast. Supporting local is very important, but supporting local excellence is what we really should be doing. That’s what brings people here.”

≈ Story & photos by James Robinson

▼Continued from page 4

Camaraderie

Camaraderie’s 2007 cabernet sauvignon boasts fi rm tannins, lush fruit and food-friendly acidity.

amazing, wasn’t it?” Because I believe the time and preparation and research that I did for every one of these dishes is worth it, and I think it shows, and every guest can appreciate that.

What’s changed in the four years you’ve been here at the Fireside? When I fi rst got here, pretty much everything that we purchased came off the back of a Sysco truck. To me, that’s just not how you do it. I can’t separate myself from anyone else if we’re all buying out of the back of the same truck. Early on, when I got here, I evaluated the status of the restaurant and tried to learn what was working and what was not. There were happy people, and the restaurant was busy, but they weren’t doing anything unique or different. You could pretty much rotate the same menu through 10 restaurants in the area and they’d all be similar. My philosophy from that point was – over several menu changes – to start utilizing more local products and stop purchasing the way we were. So it has taken this long to develop the relationships I have developed with local artisans and farmers. Every year I try to get somebody new onboard. This year we’re going to get stuff from Dharma Ridge, Nash, Red Dog Farms ... Karyn Williams is amazing.

You could use the same kind of approach in Seattle, but it sounds like there’s an immediacy between you and the farmer here that could be exciting for a chef. It is exciting. I spent many years in Seattle, and I enjoyed my thing there. But there, I was dealing with my purveyors. Here, the farmers bring their produce to me. That’s probably the most amazing thing about the peninsula: There are so many small farms that you can get almost everything you need. One of my goals is to continually move our menus toward eating seasonally and locally.

That’s challenging enough in a restaurant. Are you able to do it at home? To some degree. I don’t have 100 percent support from my kids, but that’s where my wife and I want to go.

In August, the Wine Spectator honored the Fireside with the magazine’s Award of Excellence.

≈ Story & photos by James Robinson

▼Continued from page 6

Ratigan

Oak barrels sit ready at Camaraderie Cellars.


Espresso

Free WiFi

GlutenFree

Open 7 Days 6 am-7 pm1046 Water Street

We deliver to downtown locations!360-385-1151

www.waterstreetcreperie.com

The Olympic Peninsula’s“Crepe Escape!”

Breakfast • Sweet & Savory

Crepes

Brandon & Jimowners

Now serving Gelatoin 10 unique � avors!

Just try & find us.

www.theundertown.com 360-385-1410

Sweet LauretteCafé &Bistro

1029 Lawrence St., PT360-385-4886

www.sweetlaurette.com

Breakfast Lunch & Dinner

Espresso& Pastries


f THE

CO-OPPORT TOWNSEND

doowww.foodcoop.coop

PORT TOWNSENDwww.foodcoop.coop

fcorner of Kearney & Sims 360 385-2883

Everybody Welcome Open Everyday

visit us for organic goodness over 200 local vendor products deli...beer & wine...artisan cheeses... natural cosmetics... Fair Trade chocolates... ice cream & more!

• Breakfast All Day• Lunch from 11:30 AM • Beer and Wine • Lunch Crepes

BEST BREAKFASTLocals agree!

OPEN DAILY 7 AM to 2 PM

634 Water St.Port Townsend360-385-6532

• Beer and Wine • Beer and Wine • Lunch Crepes • Lunch Crepes

in town!

Overlooking Franklin Court Gardens

LOCALLY ROASTEDORGANIC FAIR-TRADELOCAL ... ORGANICNUTRIENT-DENSE FOOD7 AM to 6 PM

100 Tyler St. (on the beach)Port Townsend, WA 360-385-3388

Italian by NameLocal Foods by Nature

118 East First Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362

360-457-5442www.bellaitaliapa.com

Toasting the Olympic Coastal lifestyle for over 30 years!

Check Our Website for a Full List of

Our Wineries & Events800.785.5495

Eight World Class Wineries – One Spectacular Region

Documents

Coastal Cuisine - Fall 2011