In the car then on a ferry- 20 minutes later, Brian and I land in a place thatseeminglytime (or maybe just population increase) forgot…ie Vashon Island. Oh its fucking beautiful- woodsy jagged shoreline with rocky beaches, there’s a tiny town in there somewhere but take a second to browse the radio and you’ve missed it. Kurtwood Farms itself is gorgeous…open and organized, 13 acres of pretty pasture studded with a few rustic buildings that house all manner of magic. Mainly, theres the cabin where Kurt lives (which is in fact a historic landmark) next to a small building that is home to a commercial grade kitchen plus dining area (a loooong family style wood table). Besides those…I cant forget to mention the cheese room, the small milking barn, the stone oven, the elevated beds, other gardens, pigs, a couple dogs, Jersey cows/calfs etc. etc. Theres so much and all of it is lovely, quiet, simple- a landscape that begs to be captured in sepia tinted photos.

Theres roughly twenty people milling about. Folks young and old- all friendly, interesting, talkative. Walking in, Kurt greets us warmly. Jovial, charismatic and impressively conscious of his guests needs- he embodies what it means to be a great host. Almost immediately, we are given glasses of wine and offered slices of pizza hot from the oven to chew on before mealtime commences. With a snack and wine in hand we mosey out to tour the property. Brian is an old pro, hes’s visited numerous times previous so I follow his lead through the milk barn, past the cows and out to the fields to meet a couple of the calfs. One of the farms dogs accompanies and pesters the babies playfully while we sip on wine and pester each other. Soon enough, we’reambling back as dinner time creeps closer. “Before I went to college, my Dad told me- you dont bring a burger to a banquet- that was in reference to me having a girlfriend at the time”. Brians giving his take on a situation he had recently dealt with in his own restaurant kitchen (Cantinetta). The summary is that a guest brought in spelt noodles and presented them to Brian in hopes of having them prepared. To bring ones own ingredients from home into a restaurant is absurd and obviously a bit offensive (most folks know this). This prompted a rant from Brian…which prompted a rant from the table on this and varying other subjects from food to work to Seattle personalities- thus was dinner conversation. Entertainingly genuine, we all chatted easily as wine was liberally poured and entrees made their way around to be shared family style. It felt like a holiday- if one is so fortunate to have holidays surrounded by people you may actually like and perfectly prepared plates as opposed to bickering relatives and dishes made from recipes found on the back of boxes/cartons. Kurtwood Farms is well grown beautifully cooked food (all ingredients derived from the farm besides flour, salt, coffee and alcohol) funny intimate conversations, a warm comfortable atmosphere and all in all a truly fulfilling not to mention inspiring example of community at its best. To experience a Cookhouse Sunday at Kurtwood Farms was a treat. Below, is the menu from the other night as best as I can recall with the help of Brian (whom has a much better memory than me…or maybe just had less wine?). We laughed a lot (Brian and Kurt did a fair share of picking oneach other, good naturedly teasing), ate plenty, drank copiously. At around 8pm, feeling cozy, I rested my head on Brians shoulder…amused with the lively table, pleased with dinner and happily sleepily sated in conclusion to a fine night. 1st course Pizzas 1 with Panchetta, Punterella, and Chilis 2nd with Perserved tomato, Herbed ricotta 2nd course Turnip bisque with brown butter accompanied by hard rolls and sweet unpasteruized butter 3rd course Anti Pasti Pork Liver Terrine, Pork Rillettes, Dinah’s Cheese (soft cambert like) Harder Cheese, Pickled Lemon Cucumber, Crackers 4th course Chicoga Beets with Agro Dolce, Pickled Red Currants and Butter 5th course Braised Pork Belly with Kolrabi and Pear 6th course Salad with Cider Vinegar 7th course Tagliatelle with Sweet Pumpkin, Butter & Sage 8th course Roasted Pork loin with Shell Beans & Cabbage 9th course Pot de Creme with Rose Water and Geranium accompanied by Butter Cookies