Menu Item Monday (July 30th, 2012) Our locally grown dinner party

This week I wanted to eat cherries with Sherry's. Unfortunately the Sherry's I know are very busy ladies! I wasn't able to coordinate scheduling with most of them but my good friend Shari Hart took time out of her busy schedule and we invited some of our other favorite people to join us for dinner. This time we decided to make our own dinner using only things we bought at the Tacoma Farmers Market. It was great food and great company.

Two of my friends live in Sky Terrace Condo's and they have a rooftop gathering space with a couple of BBQ grills, a seating area, a swimming pool and a gorgeous view of downtown Tacoma and the waterfront. They were kind enough to let us use this as the venue for our dinner. Not only that, they also contributed food and helped us cook! It was perfection. Even the weather cooperated and we had a sunny warm dinner with the perfect breeze. It just shows you that sometimes plan B works out even better that plan A.

My dinner companions were:

* Patricia Lecy-Davis of Go Local, Embellish Multispace Salon, Smooth & Juicey and Market on Market.
* Derrick Rhayn of Go Local and Local Life
* Janie Morris, Executive Director of the Tacoma Farmers Markets  
* Marguerite Giguere, Sexiest Real Estate Agent in Tacoma, website and social media guru and star of the latest Columbia Bank Blue Couch commercial
* Shari Hart, Economic Development Specialist for City of Tacoma
* Linda Danforth, of Linda Danforth Designs, Catwalk, 253 Collective, Tacoma Art Place, Jet Artist Cooperative and Congressman Adam Smith's office. 

Not too shabby, right? We had a great night with fascinating conversations. I've said it before and I will say it again, I get to be a part of such amazing conversations that I truly wish you could have listened in. I think these type of conversations would make the most fascinating and inspiring TV show. I couldn't possibly give you a cliff notes version of it all so you'll just have to take my word for it.

And the FOOD! Holy moly did we have a great selection! I got the makings for burger sliders. I even used Johnny's Dock Seasoning on them so everything would be local. I got the meat and rolls (which we used as buns) and the strawberry banana bread for dessert from Gageby Farms, the tomatoes and onions from Ayala Farm and the cheese from Blue Rose Dairy. My guests brought great things too.

Marguerite made pasta salad that was flavored with a locally made Vanilla Fig balsamic vinegar. Janie made a grilled fruit dish. She explained, "My fruit selection came from Martin Farms, a 100 acre stone fruit orchard located in Orondo Washington (East Wenatchee). I choose peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums. I marinated them in a mix of honey from Sidhu Farms (Puyallup Valley) and brown sugar (sorry not local) in a light water bath to give them a golden glaze.  It was my first time and I can say I am a believer! I had the left overs on my morning oatmeal and ooohhhhed  and ahhhhed with each bite!"

Linda brought a fresh tomato dish, fennel salad, Vanilla Fig Balsamic and grilled squash (more details below)  and Derrick brought a cucumber salad.

This is the booth at the South Tacoma Farmers Market where we bought most of the produce: Ayala Farms. They were very busy that day!

This is the booth at the South Tacoma Farmers Market where I bought the strawberry banana bread, ground beef and the cheddar rolls we sliced in half to make burger slider buns: Gageby Farms

The cheese came from this booth: Blue Rose Dairy.

Here's a picture of some of the cool Tacoma Farmers Market Swag.

The tomatoes Linda brought were bought at the market and drizzled with the vanilla fig balsamic vinegar. 

Peaches, cherries, Johnny's Dock Seasoning Salt and Janie's home made pickles. I think she said her son made them. 

Linda's fennel citrus salad had grapefruit chunks in it and its juice squeezed on it with a little rice wine vinegar too. I never tried fennel before. It tastes a little like black licorice. That was a nice surprise!

The grilled summer squash Linda made was marinated in balsamic vinegar and fresh rosemary (also from the market).

Smaller tomatoes sliced to be put on the burger sliders.

Same tomatoes, now with the onions all ready for the sliders

Garlic dill goat cheese to make cheese burger sliders

Cheddar dinner rolls we used as burger buns. They were perfect! 

Derrick's cucumber salad

Another picture of Linda's tomatoes.

This is the Olive Branch Vanilla Fig Balsamic that everyone was raving about. Linda said she thinks the booth was called, "Taste of Eden"

Here's the slider I made. The only thing not local was the ketchup and mayonnaise.

Here's Derricks slider.

This is Shari's plate. Doesn't everything look amazing!

Here is Janie's grilled peaches and Linda's grilled squash. These were both a big hit.

Dessert was this "Grandma Helen's Strawberry Banana Bread" from Gagby Farm.

And THAT'S how you eat local. I encourage you to try your own version of a Farmers Market dinner.  It was great fun to be creative. There are four main Farmers Markets in Tacoma. One is in Proctor and that one is its own entity. The other three are managed together: South Tacoma Market (at the Star Center), Downtown Market (on Broadway) and 6th Ave Market (on Pine St). Some of the markets also offer cooking classes. Check the Tacoma Farmers Market website for dates and times: http://www.tacomafarmersmarket.com/.  

Here are the comments from my guests:


Shari said, "Farmers Market dinners are the BEST part of summer... from appetizer to dessert it all was yummy!  South Tacoma Farmers Market goodies graced the roof top BBQ.  My favorite was the grilled peaches.  Create your own FRESH & FABULOUS meal this week!"

Janie said, "A perfect location, on a perfect T-Town summer Sunday evening, a perfect gathering of friends around Farmers Market FOOD!!! It will be one of my new favorite memories ~ Thank you Tacoma neighborhoods for supporting your local farmer :) Thank you Angie for doing a perfect shout OUT!!!"

Linda said, "I loved the vanilla fig balsamic vinegar on the tomatoes. I think I would love it on ice cream! The vinegar is made Chehalis and it is awesome to get to taste all if the other flavors at the market."


Marguerite said, "It feels so good to eat food that is grown locally and served fresh- and that Taste of Eden Balsamic Vinaigrette took the pasta salad to a whole new level!"

Patricia said, " I enjoyed it immensely. No plans to stay that long! So excited you were serving Gageby meat on their Cheddar rolls. If peeps don't get to the market they can get those yummies at MoM. I want us to get that fabulous balsamic Linda brought. Vanilla Fig, OMG!"

Derrick said, "The dinner captured the spirit of summer perfectly. I think I will make a tradition of Sunday dinners from the farmer's market. With so much fresh food available, I am excited to expand my culinary adventures!"

Live long and prosper my friends! :)

Duchess of Downtown