Judd Cove Oysters

On the way into town this afternoon, at the end of a beautiful sunny day. Low tide and Judd Cove Oysters.  Bill was out harvesting oysters, so I snapped a couple shots.  Bill and Char grow them in mesh bags and bring the bags in and then grade according to desired size.  The rest go back onto the beach to grow some more.  You can see the bags of oysters in the background, they are held off of the sand by racks.  It is hard to believe that many local restaurants do not even serve these incredible oysters, they prefer imports, or do not offer them at all.



Bill & Char are mostly selling in the Seattle area during the winter, but we will be sure to have them on the menu when we reopen the restaurant on February 11.

We are very lucky to have such an excellent oyster less than a mile from the Inn and there is no better time to eat them than during the cool winter months.

Here is a shot of one of the Mangalitsa Pigs.  He is getting chunky, bulking up.  The big ones are at around 200 #'s now.  We are happy to give a tour.

Not the best picture, but you get an idea of their size, they do love the mud.

Winter

Cold, Rain, Snow, Cold, Melt, Rain, Cold, Snow, Melt & More Rain.

The winter cycle is in full swing.

Nothing too crazy to report, a quick trip to NYC, to visit my sister and to do a somewhat illegal dinner with Curtiss and his adventurous dining group, check out Gastronauts, look at photos then Chevaline Dinner and you will get the general idea.  Our west coast, product driven style was well received.  More to come on Gastronauts.

The Mangalitsas are getting really large, we can honestly say hogs do gain weight in the winter months.

Little Kartoffel

Who says pigs are not cute?  At least until they put on another 200 pounds and start pushing you around.  This is the smallest of the six Mangalitsa pigs, he is starting to put on weight now.  He is roughly 70 pounds.  The biggest ones are now about 150 pounds.  They are growing fast.  Plenty of good food.

Halloween

The mangalitsas are getting their daily allotment of Vitamin A, C and lots of Potassium from the many pumpkins left over from Halloween.  They seem to really like the whole thing, especially the seeds.  It is nice not seeing them go to waste.  The only part left over is the stem.

The Hunt is on!

The hunt for mushrooms that is.
 Chef Geddes has made mushroom hunting a hobbies for over 20 years.
The delight and fever he expresses for "The Hunt" is very infectious. So if you spend any time with him, which I do, you start to day dream of eating saute Chanterelles over your eggs in the morning.
 Lucky for the novice seeker, like myself, this has been an amazing mushroom harvest year. Making edible mushrooms easier to find. "Epic" mushroom hunting stories have been have filling the kitchen and inspiring weekend adventures.
When searching the forest floor for edible morsels this autumn, you might find:
Cantharellus-Chanterelle, Armillaria-matsutaki, Pleurotus-oyster mushroom, and Agaricus Augustus- The Prince. Just to name a few. I encourage everyone to have an expert on hand to help determine what is what. Eating the wrong mushroom won't just ruin your appetite.

 

   Geddis holds two huge Matsutaki. The larger matsutaki are considered less valuable then the smaller younger mushroom, but still have the same pungent "Sweet Hot" aroma. If you are not familiar with the "Sweet Hot" reference, it is a candy we ate as kids. They have a sorta sweet cinnamon flavor and smell.

Corgi Mind Control

Ike is exercising the ancient art of Corgi Mind Control on one of the unsuspecting Mangalitsa pigs.  For what reason we are not sure.  The pigs are putting on weight and appear to be enjoying their new home.

Latest Additions to Ship Bay

After a quick trip to Eastern Washington, six young Mangalitsa pigs have found their new home on Orcas Island at The Inn at Ship Bay.  They are lucky pigs with a filtered water view(as they would say in the real estate business), but all they seem to care about is good food, clean water and a dry place to sleep.

We figured that this was our last easy opportunity to fatten some Mangalitsas, as the Wooly Pigs operation was moving to the Midwest.  Look for more Mangalitsa on the menu next year, but much of our Bacon, Lardo and Prosciutto will be a part of future menus.