It may not be surprising to hear that I skipped breakfast after that long night of the Dessert Crawl. However, there was this raspberry muffin at Fairhaven Village Inn that was baked with those fresh raspberries.
Whatcom County had hosted an adventure FAM. I think that they might have mixed it up on this culinary tour as we walked what felt like a mile to our next stop. Or were they dangling food in front of us in order to get us to move? We walked along the serene waterfront boardwalk, encountered some seaweed people, kids climbing rocks and stopped at a coffee house. I guess it took at least 15 minutes because a nosh was offered with our coffee and we were feeling a little weak.
A quick tour of downtown Bellingham (by van) before sailing off to the most northeastern island of the San Juan Islands.
Food became an adventure for me boarding the 50-foot Happy Talk yacht destined for Lummi Island with a population of about 800. Captain Charlie DeWeese, of Sail Away Charters, informed us that his crab pots had captured our lunch. Bound by my life jacket I schmoozed with my group and partook in the crab salad with a poppy seed dressing, fresh rolls with rosemary and sea salt (I suppose Rosemary wasn’t too happy about that) followed by a tasting of fruit tarts.
I did my utmost not to panic when we were informed of the transfer to a rowboat in order to get to shore. “The next step is about 10 inches down”, I would hear. Now youtubing my getting on and off the boats would have been amusing.
We are now checking into the Willows Inn, run by husband and wife Riley Starks and Judy Olsen. Riley informs us that we will be doubling up on rooms. Something about a last minute decision on a wedding party. I was given my own room due to another error…Riley was first informed that there would be a male writer on the trip. He didn’t show but assumed that the name “Merle” was male. The room was quite nice but lacked air conditioning in this hot weather. No phone or television.
Riley introduced us to a tank of spotted prawns, indigenous to the area. We said, “hello” as our lips smacked knowing that they would eventually make their way to our stomachs that evening. Nettles Farm is their source of food with organic vegetables, fruit, eggs, chickens and even a few pigs (who we were beginning to resemble). Owning the farm makes it even easier.
We’re feeling a little weak, so it’s on to Willows Inn’s Taproot Pub for dinner, which was prepared by Chef Vincent. Sitting on porch allowed for a great view of the sunset. I forgot to mention that wine was being paired with all of our food. I skipped most of it due to that fact that I get drunk on Scotch tape. The menu here is always a five-course fare and changes each day.
Course 1: favas fritto, spot prawns, asparagus & herb relish, béarnaise aioli. Fava beans, in their pods, were lightly breaded and fried. The “meat” from the spotted prawns were pieced, rather than whole.
Course 2: shaved zucchini, squash blossom & pecorino salad, sherry vinaigrette, poached egg, caper berries. The raw zucchini was tossed with the salad. I could view the squash blossoms when I was at the farm and was wondering if they would be used in the meal. Vincent placed a poached pullet egg on the side along with a caper berry. The berries are not the same as when you get “capers”, which are small berries that are usually “brined”. A caper berry is much larger and has more of an “olive” appearance.
Course 3: potato & turnip soup with greens, radish, buerre fondue. The potatoes and turnips were cooked in a chicken stock and the put into a food processor. Radish was used more for show and color. Buerre fondue is butter that is warmed and whisked into a creamy state. The fondue as did the radish lay atop the soup.
Course 4: bacon wrapped king troll caught salmon, polenta & peas, bordelaise sauce, parsley salad. I asked Vincent if a troll caught the salmon. The bacon is made on the premises. So much for meeting the pig. Fresh peas, cooked just enough to give that raw flavor.
Course 5: carrot cake, cream cheese ice cream, meyer’s dark rummey carrots. The carrot cake was individualized in more of a muffin shape. I could taste the carrots vs the spices. Rather than a cream cheese frosting, Vincent decided to prepare cream cheese ice cream to accompany it. A baby carrot (a real one) was cooked with the dark rum for an added sweetness and sugary texture.
Did I tell you that you can find a whole bunch of information by going to www.bellingham.org
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