Big Weekend

It's Friday morning, and I've already assumed weekend position in my mind. I have an easy, if annoying day at work. We do inventory, literally counting how much we have of things, and it's really just time consuming. When I do it with Dustin, we go fast. I'm doing it with the chef today, and he's slow/exact. But we're closed for dinner, so I'll be done between 5-6 ish.

And then the long weekend.

Saturday: Make ice cream with Tom. We got another ice cream machine yesterday. So it will be sweet to finish in say, 4 hours at the most. And then Saturday will be spent getting ready for....

Sunday: Sell tons of ice cream. Not literally tons, but go crazy! I then get to have a dinner at a place I've been excited about eating at all week, Union. And then, who knows where....

Monday: Do nothing, or at least, whatever I want. It'll be my 1st day off since my family reunion-the last Saturday in July.

It's gonna be great.

The ball is rolling as they say....

I'm sorry to all of you, since I came to my blog and realized it's been a week since I posted anything. My life right now seems devoid of the free time that was once wasted upon the internet. I don't know if that is a good thing-it seems as if it should be- since many hours of my life were spent doing just that....

We had our best weekend yet. It was bonkers! We sold out of everything except 1 flavor, To bring home empty coolers was excellent. To bring home the banks was nice as well. To have everyone want to trade their stuff for yours- so many that you have to tell people, "no," was pretty great too. Word is spreading for sure. I was also contacted by a woman who has a magazine about local food/eating that will be launching next summer that wants to talk about a photo shoot-a nd she hasn't even eaten our product yet. And there's a guy who has an "upscale catering van" he's doing some classy lunchtime things out of. He wants to talk too.

The ball is rolling as they say....

1/2 day off

Another random bit of rambling from the Alligator....

We sold ice cream this last weekend. It rained. Hard at some times, but we did well enough, and had lots of repeat customers. People who say, "we'll be back next week!" And they are. And that's radical.
And the dinner afterwards...my gads man! If you are unlucky enough to not not have been there for it, then here's the run down:

Grilled Spice-Rubbed Ahi Tuna on various sweet 'n spicy pickled peppers (and cinnamon basil)
Grilled Beef "London Broil" on a fresh Yakima tomato sauce with bacon and basil
Chanterelle and Sweet Corn Pone- it a corn custard/pudding with the best mushrooms. Someone had to be the "keeper of the pone" to keep people from eating too much. And then not only did she eat too much, but also defensively flailed the serving spoon, throwing a bunch of corn custard all over the floor.
And an awesome salad with heirloom tomatoes.

Next week, we might do the 'Mater Seder- a meal featuring tomatoes in every dish.

I went out with my cousins (and Iris my sister) last night and that was fun. I always enjoy how different those interactions are away from family events. And my cousin Jeff sat next to a dude who had gotten out of prison that morning after 10 years in the pen. The guy was nice my cuz said, and overwhelmed for sure. The INTERNET ON A CELL PHONE!!!?!?!?

It's my 1/2 day off, and I'm gonna run greenlake.
Oh and NPR's the world had a feature on Fat Freddy's for all y'all Kiwis.
I am jealous I'm missing the Rumpus too. Take pictures, so I can superimpose myself into them.

You could be a part time model.

Just downloaded the Distant Future EP by Flight of the Conchords off iTunes.

Great stuff. I highly recommend.

Robot binary solo:
0000010000001000001100000111000001000.

Sunday Feast

We had another good weekend. We sold out 2 flavors, which is a 1st for us. One of them was our new brown sugar and peach, which we had 70 of or so....that's great. the other was the Orchard massacre/insanity, which we had about 30 of to start- they were surplus in our freezer.
We still haven't had the weekend where it just goes off. But that might be due to the weather, seeing as the hottest day we've had maybe got 78 degrees. Or it might be that a food critic who writes for the times hasn't dropped by, which happened yesterday. She stopped by while the best cheese man at the market was over talking to us, and he said, "if she mentions good things about you, you'll wish she never wrote about you." After the column they were mentioned in, people started showing up at their farm outsided Elma. Or the the middle of no-where for you Kiwis.

So we could see a big jump. Perhaps. But the word is out in the market for sure. We have vendors coming over to trade with us, thus making our Sunday Farmhouse Dinner series more spectacular.

Last night we had, provided by trades:

Smoked Salmon
Estrella Cheese (the aforementioned cheese dude's)
A potato and greens saute with chanterelles
haricot verts and infant carrots
tomato and cucumber bread 'n butter pickles
Blueberry Pie ( I made a lattice top too)

And we added:
Natural beef, grilled with lemon zest and parsley
Italian braised Romano beans with fresh tomato and bacon.

You should come over for dinner.

Skillz

So my week of breakfasts is over, I lament it. By Friday, I was finally in the rythym of things- I cooked probably more breakfasts in one week, besides in the month of December, ever. I forgot that cooking eggs is challenging, probably the most challenging thing to cook, because the variables need to be, well, not varied. You have to have the pan at the right temp (hell-the right pan too) and the right amount of oil...etc, etc, blah, blah,

And my soups. God Damn, man, they were great. I have skills.....

This weekend, as many readers know since they're on the mailing list for the Epicurean Empire, we are unleashing the 1st sorbet for sale. Hand picked wild blackberry. It's amazing. Deep flavor, and a beautiful color too. And we have a secret flavor, using the famed ingredient from Alba. If you know/figure that one out, you'll be down like a clown Charlie Brown.

I haven't had a drink for 2 weeks, due to a bet, and I am contimplating what the 1st one to hit my mouth will be?

Oh, wait, it'll be Bourbon. Fine Bourbon.

Gonna catch the Burrito Bus for a late dinner.

Soup man

Whew. I am tired. I had to wake up at 5am, since I'm working breakfast all this week. I have little idea of what the menu is, since I cook that menu about 1 week a year (or less). At least it's mostly eggs, which is the one thing I learned how to cook in NZ. I had never held a breaky shift before that, and today, I made myself proud....and then I started on 2 soups for later this week. I also don;t do much soup at night- I usually hold over the day stuff, which is generally good stuff. It's predictibly consistent.

My soups this week:
Mon- Roasted Tomato and Chili with Oregano and Farmer's cheese ( Mexican style)
Tues- Tuscan braised pork shoulder with white bean and fennel (thickened with bread crumbs)
Wed- Cucumber Gazpacho
Thurs- Oxtail consommé scented with madeira
Fri- Brazilian Chicken with coconut and citrus

I need to go to bed now and dream of soup and appropriate garnishes/accoutrements.

Blue Angels Mother F'er!

I hate the Blue Angels. They just waste fuel and pollute and close down I-90 and scare me to think there are planes sounding like that bringing doom to people.

Yeah America, we kick ass!

In other news, I'm at the market tomorrow selling my ice cream.
And it might not rain!

¿Sabes Micho?

Yesterday was a long one- I woke up at 6:30 to go drive down to Kent for our dairy. Then, up to Bellevue to my "real" job. It was a bad and strange day, and had to deal with inventory too....then at 4pm we left for our factory, and had bad traffic, of course.
We were making ice cream from 5pm till 12:30, and I got home at 1am.
And here I am, not wanting to do anything but go back to bed, and I get to go swing by the printers, and then go to work again.
At least it's the new menu coming in.

¿Sabes "micho?" ¡Mi chorizo!

(I'm making chorizo today)