Dog Mountain Dinner...

Last week we embarked on yet another cool culinary collaboration with one of our local farms...Dog Mountain Farm in Carnation, Washington. Cindy and David Krepky, the owners and keepers of the garden, fowl and other furred and feathered creatures there were able to supply us with a good handful of their hand-harvested vegetables, herbs, poultry and fresh goats milk for this dinner. We have been in a farmer-chef relationship for just about 8 years now I recon and it is one that as a chef, it pleases me to no end to use their product. The relationship and bond between a chef and a farm, in which both are committed to serving great, fresh and healthy food is so important. It sends a clear message to our patrons and community that we are very concerned about the freshness and wholesomeness of the ingredients and the quality of what we are serving to them. By purchasing directly from the farmer(s) themselves, we are able to learn, grow and help sustain the local economy and get closer to the desired results of the end product by working closely with them. It is a mutual educational and beneficial endeavor, and one that I believe makes a big difference in the dishes I am to create. These three dishes were based on what was available in the moment, which in the Northwest in May, is not a whole lot unfortunately. Sure, we probably should have waited until July or August to use the plethora of fruits, vegetables, heirloom tomatoes, ducks, goats and such that they will have but oh well, we went for it anyway. In addition to the ingredients from DMF, we also recruited another one of our favorite friendly farm partners, Mark Lovejoy from Garden Treasures in Mount Vernon. Collectively, we all played vital roles in making this dinner a success! Here is the menu and description of the creations as they came to be...Warm Poached Duck Egg Salad
english pea coulis, radishes, peas, asparagus, edible flowers, bacon
bacon caramel and a walnut-maple-sherry dressing


Roasted French Colored Range Chicken
(truffles & oregano under skin and spring garlic leg cooked sous vide)
fava bean pancake, king trumpet mushrooms, braised greens
stewed spring onions and infant leeks

Rhubarb & Strawberry "Salad"
pepper compressed strawberries, poached rhubarb, chervil
candied fennel, pistachio financier, goats milk gelato, fennel meringue
and meyer lemon olive oil