Who knows what Kate and Nick were thinking when they agreed to host an invasion from NW DC last week-end. I am certain that I could not work the hours that they work--and as hard as they work--and still be such wonderful hosts to a bunch of city folk. On the other hand, a more enthusiastic group of city folk would be hard to find.
Hi, Green Fence Farm fans. I am Sarah, Kate's old friend (and be nice, I only feel old). Some of you know me as Kate's lobbyist friend or as the NW DC CSA drop-off host or as ... well, just don't tell me. But this week, I am Sarah, Green Fence Farm's guest blogger. This is not because of my writing--no one can write as well as Kate. But I have a high-speed internet connection and she doesn't!
Kate asked me to blog about our visit to the farm last week-end and share what we made from the farm's offerings. This was not a spur of the moment visit. For several months, we planned our farm invasion. The chief instigator was Mike Davis, fabulous cook and premier GFF customer. Mike is passionate about the local farm movement. His wish was to recreate the feel of the french farm kitchen. Our test: how quickly can we get it from the field to the table? The winner was Mike, with child-like glee, grabbling a fresh laid egg, running down the hill, up the stairs, into the kitchen, cooking it in a soft-boil, and eating it right there. That is our Mike Davis.
So, we joined forces to invade the farm and dedicate ourselves to food and the farm: Mike, Kris, Maggie, and Everett, along with my family (my husband, Don Blanchon, our daughter Josie, and my father, John Ducich--minus our older daughter who was at girls lacrosse goalie camp down the road in Salem, VA).
Mike took charge of any course involving poultry--quail, duck, chicken, and partridge. I took the side dishes and, most importantly, the desserts.
Mike is a far more creative cook than I am--he has mastered technique and now works directly with what is available to him. I am waiting for him to give me his descriptions of his pan-roasted quail in port-reduction sauce and roasted duck with plums so that I can post them here.
I am a recipe-driven cook, although my confidence is growing and I am doing more experimenting. This past week-end, I used Suzanne Goin's fabulous "Sunday Suppers at Lucques" as my base and worked with what Kate and Nick and the wonderful Shenandoah Valley provided us.
Over the next few days, I will be posting our creations. I will start backwards, with desserts, since I know those the best (and those are the prettiest pictures). Next post, Cornmeal Shortcakes with Peaches, Blackberries, and Mint, accompanied by Plum Sorbet. Yum!
It's a good post, and you know what? I think you're doing an important contribution, specially when you mentioned the descriptions above, all is about specifications and good desserts. The first desserts were candies, made from raw honeycomb and dried dates and would be nice if you can add something about this last part.
ReplyDelete23jj