Kinley and Drew's Wedding at the Winn Homestead

We do a lot of Whitman Weddings.  Graduates leave our fair town (voted friendliest in the United States by Rand McNally) and come back to get hitched with all their college friends; re-uniting for a big party.  It was our first time at the Winn Homestead in Weston, a huge red barn, with two levels, set in wheat and pea fields.  Here is the note Kinley sent us:

Dear Graze,

Thanks so much for everything. The reviews from attendees were seriously unreal - people couldn't stop talking about the food. Multiple people have mentioned to me that it was the best food they've ever had at a wedding, and a couple wonder if you'd travel to do weddings in Seattle :)

Thank you so much for your flexibility, easygoing nature, and excellent culinary creativity - we had such a great time.

Check should have arrived today, tomorrow at the latest. Let me know if you don't see it for some reason.

Also, any chance I could squeeze the recipes for that cous cous salad and the bread/tomato salad out of you? I have a list of about 20 people that have asked me for the recipe...

Excellent work, and thank you. If you ever need another reference, please feel free to use me.

Kinley

 

Well I think that deserves a hearty Cheers!  Our daughter thinks so too.

 

Blink

Blink and May turns into July.  Blink again and your kids are in middle school.  How does time go so quickly.  How did we just do 14 weddings from the last week in May to today?  And how did we fit in all the other parties large and small?  I really have no idea, its all kind of a blur. 

What is not a blur is that our food and service have continued improved with every event.  And we are proud to announce that our pig box has been perfected.  A slow roast herb stuffed pork shoulder takes us a good 6 hours, and then the coals on top we use to grill vegetables.  Here are Walla Walla Sweets grilling on top of the pig box for the Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival backyard donors party.

Our house made meatballs in roasted garlic marinara and braciole, crispy polenta cakes, whole leaf caesar salad and parmesan, wilted swiss chard from stones throw farm, blanched asparagus, and dessert from the patisserie rounded out this meal all the way back in early June for some out of town guests at L'ecole Winery.

My new favorite thing is grilled lemons.  We marinate rosemary lemon and garlic chicken for a day before grilling.  After the chicken is grilled, we then grill off the lemon rounds over low heat.  They caramelize so beautifully, and when they are just a few moments before burnt is when they are perfect, and they make a fantastic garnish.  For these smoked paprika and garlic shrimp skewers, we roasted the lemons and then finely chopped the caramelized zest and put a smidge on each skewer.  The stuff is addicting.

Cheers

Palmares

Palmares is a cycling term which means a list of great accomplishments.  This is our version of palmares. 

We did dinner for a group of guests organized by Whitman College.  Waters Winery was the venue, outdoors on the lawn, two extra long tables, seating 62 guests in all.  Above is a shot of a new appetizer we made up, cantelope lollipops, dipped in finely minced mint and prosciutto bits (think bacon bits but made out of prosciutto... yummy).  Dinner was served family style, a pretty local salad from Welcome Table Farm; then halibut on a bed of english peas, favas, and baby carrots; then grilled Upper Dry Creek Ranch leg of lamb and salsa verde, on a bed of wilted beet greens and arugula with roasted new potatoes and grilled early summer vegetables; finished with petit fours from the Patisserie.

I wanted to tell you how amazing the dinner was on Thursday. You and your staff did an incredible job. Everyone attending my conference (mostly from the east coast) was so impressed with Walla Walla in general, and they just loved the venue at Waters, the wine, and your food. And, you may have left before this, but we had the most incredible moonrise at the end of the dinner (I'll send you a picture). Just icing on top of the cake. I wish you had been there to accept everyone's thanks, but Tracy and Brian came out and let us applaud them. (Dinner was done and I had a softball playoff game to get to!!! commitments, commitments.)


Thank you so much!
Rachna

Cheers

Dear Subway