The warm days may still pack the punch of summertime, but it’s getting dark earlier and there’s a touch of brisk in the morning air. We are officially sliding downhill into the gaping maw of fall. The earth is slower to adjust to this autumnal shift, thank heavens, leaving us with a respectable bounty of goods to exploit before the tight fisted bare knuckles of Jack Frost get a good grip. What is one to do? Why have a party of course! An all things Yakima Valley brunch is just the ticket to properly appreciate how good we’ve still got it. We decided to meet at 10(ish) on Sunday, and bring whatever we could hunt down that’s local or unique to the Valley right now for a group feast worthy of celebration.
Shelley
Sunday morning, I woke up early to get to the Downtown Yakima Farmers Market. My first stop, the heirloom tomato table. These babies are out to break those perfectly round, red tomato stereotypes that permeate the world, God bless ‘em, so, I decide they will be the unofficial mascot of our party in the form of a cocktail—the Heirloom Bloody Mary—‘cause I’m a fan of boozy breakfasts. But let’s take it a step further, upping the game from a celery garnish, to crisp bacon from Wapato and pickled Sunnyside asparagus infused with hot peppers from my garden.
Organizing the different red, green, orange, and yellow tomatoes into all their sizes and shapes, my girls chopped, blended, and strained the pulp through a t-shirt into a pitcher, because really, who has cheese cloth these days? My mix, with a shot of Dry Fly vodka and a salty rim, was like drinking all my vegetables in one tall glass for the week—so rich, spicy, tangy, and bacony. It almost seemed too good for me; but it wasn’t.
Aileen
I like to challenge myself every Sunday to hit the farmer’s market and formulate a meal based on the offerings of the day. This particular Sunday was a brunch with the rooted team, so I gravitated to an egg dish—the forgiving and versatile frittata—emboldened with Sunnyside grown zucchini, freakishly huge red peppers and a token onion. “Have you ever tried a chocolate pepper?” says the pepper lady. Why not? Everything is better with cheese, so I hit the Tieton Farm & Creamery stall next for some Bianca goat cheese to elevate the flavor, and finished with a giant bouquet of fresh basil.
I crave opportunities like this: slowing down life for a few hours to share the responsibilities of food creation, inevitably leaving a deeper appreciation and pride for the final feast. Of course, perfecting Shelley’s Bloody Mary all morning kept me giddy and motivated.
Andreana
On stopping by our Toppenish farm, my husband motions me to come around to the back of the office where a Native American couple is standing next to a giant white cooler. As I pop off the lid I see two beautiful Chinook salmon they had just caught resting on a bed of ice. I feel a spike of excitement run through me. One look and I know what I’m making for the feast—whole salmon on the barbeque. I had the good fortune to come across a Tom Douglas recipe a few years back that never disappoints. Fun to prepare, beautiful to present, and dynamite to eat, I knew it was exactly what I wanted to share. Just stuff it, tie it, grill it, and eat it!
There’s something about a group cooking dynamic that can make preparing the food almost more fun than eating it. The kids were chopping veggies, snapping pictures, and trying to squeeze every drop out of the warmth of the day. We three rooted gals were swaying to some breakfast beats, sneaking sips and bites and pushing it all through to the table. Somehow it came together, and like the kids, we found our own way to wring out the warmth of a fall day in the Valley; on our plates. By the time the brunch bell rang, there was a the cocktail, the fish and the frittata, a lemony summer squash dish, a variety of local cheeses, some toasted peasant bread from the Royal Bavarian Bakery and a garden zucchini quick bread that got lost in the shuffle but was great later once recalled. In the end, it was all good. I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate.
To view recipes that inspired us, check out:
http://www.feastmagazine.com/cook/article_39e5bf4a-46cc-11e5-8588-df6e371d48b4.html
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/whole-salmon-on-the-grill-with-fennel-lemon-and-onions-recipe.html
http://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/ultimate-easy-frittata-recipe-article