Chef Justin Neidermeyer's Amazing Dinner

My wife and I decided to make one of our occasional trips out to Lummi Island and our favorite getaway. The Willows, a B & B and one of the best restaurants in the Pacific Northwest was our destination.

I have spoken often on this blog about the wonderful meals and relaxing stays we have had while at The Willows. But for the next few months a very special and gifted chef will be cooking up his own form of magic in the Willow's kitchen and we wanted to check him out early on in his stay. And are we glad we did!

Justin Neidermeyer, a northwest native has been spending a lot of time in Italy recently. He even owns his own home and farm in the Piemonte region. But Justin has a deep connection to the northwest restaurant scene having worked for Holly Smith of Cafe Juanita fame, and owning his own restaurant, Spinasse in Seattle. Spinasse was honored as the top new restaurant in 2009 by Seattle Magazine and was on the short list for the James Beard Award for best restaurant in America!

Surprised? Well, you shouldn't be. The Willows owner Riley Starks has always sought out top chefs to run his inn's kitchen and has had great success over the years, garnering the attention of Sunset Magazine and Gourmet Magazine with feature articles about the food and hospitality of this wonderful inn.

When we arrived Riley took us into the kitchen and introduced us to the chef. We spent a few minutes chatting and Riley even popped open a bottle of Prosecco. We toasted the new chef and to a wonderful dinner, then retired to the spacious great room overlooking the Strait of Georgia where whales play and boats of all sizes splash through the white caps and swells. It is a stunning view that changes as the day progresses and the whims of the weather dictate. We sat enjoying our glass of wine and the view until we were called to dinner.

Our table had an equally stunning view out to sea. Riley brought a basket of fresh out of the oven bread and a plate of very fine olive oil for dipping.

The first of our three courses was a platter of the last of season asparagus from Riley's Nettle's Farm up the the hill from the inn. It was served up family style as is Chef Neidermeyer's way. The asparagus was seasoned with chive flowers, olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper. Justin's philosophy seems to be fresh, high quality foods prepared simply, a philosophy we couldn't agree with more. Along with the asparagus was an accompanying platter of thin slices of 2 year old prosciutto from one of Riley's own Mangalitsa pigs. These wonderful creatures produce a fat that is poly-unsaturated--making it actually good for you! A bit of the prosciutto on the fork and a bit of asparagus spear. Bring it slowly up to your mouth, close your eyes and let the flavors mingle. Slowly! slowly! Oh, my. This is far from a new combination of foods, but when foods of this quality, produced with such love and care come together, a whole new level of gustatory enjoyment is the result.

The second course was salmon medallions topped with a pesto sauce. Riley explained that this special salmon was a variety caught near Neah Bay that is especially high in the good fats salmon are famous for. The medallions were pan seared caramelizing the bottom of each piece which added a bit of crunch and sweetness. In the pan only for a minute, the flavor and texture was superb. Topping the fish was a simple parsley pesto made with a wonderful olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper. Again, the chef kept it simple and let the food speak for itself.

Along with the salmon came a side of chick peas and endive braised in a garlic and olive oil sauce. This was actually my favorite dish of the night. I like chick peas. They are great on salads or to make a hummus. But this combination of flavors kept me taking little second and third helpings. Absolutely delicious.

Our dessert course was a simple, creamy smooth panna cotta topped with a tangy fresh lemon curd. Light, cleansing--the perfect end of a perfect meal. Topped off with a cup of after dinner coffee, we watched the stunning sunset form over the Strait and chatted away with our host, catching up on his plans for the upcoming season and about our families before reluctantly taking our leave to catch the ferry home.

Don't let the summer pass without taking the short ride across Hale Passage aboard the little ferry, Whatcom Chief and the ten-minute scenic drive to The Willows. If you do you will miss an opportunity for a wonderful host, a truly gifted chef and the stunning scenery to create an absolutely unforgettable evening just for you.
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The Ship's Clock

The coolest maritime store in Bellingham is Pacific Marine down on Holly Street. It is two floors of used boating artifacts from life preservers, to fishing gear to railings to old electronics, fittings, dinghies, crab pots and on and on--you name it and you can probably find it in some form or another somewhere in this shop.

I wander through it often as the merchandise is always changing, but especially this time of year as boaters begin thinking about working on their boats or ready them for a cruise somewhere. Out with the old and in with the new. The old often finds its way to Mike's place down on Holly.

Saturday I was on my way down to work on the Key of Sea when I decided to pull over at Pacific Marine and look for a fitting that would attach my new teak flag pole to the center stanchion on the aft end of the upper deck above my cockpit. I didn't find what I was looking for right away and so I wandered up front to ask for some help.

As I walked past a glass case piled high with new arrivals, I spied the brass case shape of a ship's clock. I stopped dead in my tracks and hefted the object carefully. It had to weigh 3 or 4 pounds. Solid brass and beautiful though with much tarnish and blemishes! A passing staff person stopped and asked if they could be of help. I casually asked it the clock was for sale knowing whether or not it was it would be very expensive!

Yes, came the answer but they were not sure how much they were selling it for. Mike, the owner of the shop happened by and said, "oh, yeah, its $75."

My jaw dropped. "What's the matter with it?"

Mike explained as he began unscrewing the face of the clock to show me the innards, that the original works of the clock had been removed and replaced with a modern quartz movement, greatly diminishing its value. But the original face and hands were still in tact and it kept perfect time. Just needed a new battery. He guaranteed it would work. If it were in mint condition with the original works it might have been worth several hundred dollars.

Sold! My biggest concern was that the heavily tarnished brass case would not clean up. Back to the boat with my new found treasure. I removed the clock works and then rummaged around in the locker where I keep cleaning materials to find my brass polish. I settled into a chair in the cock pit and began methodically rubbing out the blemishes and tarnish covering the clock. After only a few minutes of cleaning I realized it was going to clean up beautifully. Above is a photo of the clock about half way through the process.

Late afternoon I went to the hardware store, bought the three screws needed to mount the clock to the bulkhead and a new "C" cell battery. I will update this entry with the finished photo when I get it mounted to the bulkhead later this week.

No it isn't perfect and it doesn't have the original wind up innards, but what a beauty just the same and no one will ever know unless I tell them. I was planning to eventually buy a new brass ship's clock with the new quartz type works because I knew I could never afford one of the heavy brass wind up type. So I got the best of the old and the new and I'm perfectly happy.

Pleasant Bay Hideaway

Today we headed southeast out across Bellingham Bay toward Chuckanut Bay and the tiny harbor of Pleasant Bay. Under way about an hour brought us to the lee of Governor's Point.

I first noticed this little spot a few years ago, long before purchasing the Key of Sea. We were visiting friends who were house sitting in a home along Chuckanut Bay. The home sat right on the water and had a sweeping 180 degree view of Chuckanut Bay. Sitting out on the deck, I noticed boats rounding a peninsula to the west and dropping anchor in a quiet little bay on the lee side of the peninsula. I just looked perfect!

So today we headed there with our friends Ken and Vicky. We slowed to enter the tiny harbor and began looking for a spot to tuck in between the other two boats currently at anchor and drop our own. We passed a power boat on our right and received a friendly wave from those aboard. We gave them a wide berth for no other reason than to gave them their privacy.

On our left a 40 foot sailboat was anchored and someone was relaxing in a hammock which was slung across the deck. A curious head raised up over the top of the hammock for a moment and then disappeared. We slowly idled past, tucked into a spot nearer shore and turned into the wind. Leslie and Ken walked out on the bow and slowly lowered the anchor off the bowsprit. The anchor hit bottom in 50 feet of water. I reversed engines attempting to get the anchor to bite into the muddy bottom. Our first attempt failed, so they brought the anchor to the surface and we tried again.

On the second attempt I felt the anchor bite and the bowsprit dip slightly. We were in. Engines were cut. For the next hour or so we continued to keep a nervous eye on our location and I set the anchor alarm on the GPS for a little insurance. Any movement more than a hundredth of a nautical mile and an alarm would sound. Eventually though, we all began to relax and enjoy the afternoon.

We fixed lunch and had a nice visit before pulling up anchor and heading north toward home. On the away in we spotted the tall ships, Lady Washington and the Hawaiian Chieftain were out having a mock cannon battle with each other. We detoured and circled the ships to get a good look.

Back in harbor I made a picture perfect landing, washed down the boat and headed home. Another great day at sea, sir! ________________________________

Torn!

So, the problem is how to sort out my time so that I am giving equally to the garden and to the boat. Tough to have so many hobbies that you just run out of time to act on them all.

This weekend was no different. The lawn needed to be mowed and the weather was perfect for doing it. But perfect weather also meant it was great for boating. Well, the boat won out this weekend definitely. In fact we spent two beautiful days on the water.

Saturday started out with a Cinco de Mayo celebration at the Wepprecht's home. Great food by chef Fred and his sous chef Peggy. When the party ended we all hustled down to the harbor and aboard Key of Sea for an afternoon romp around the bay. Got back into harbor in time to wash down the boat and head home.

Mother's Day Sunday, we had reservations aboard the Victoria Star for a cruise out to Victoria, BC. Had a marvelous time and got back to B'ham about 8 pm and home with only enough time to get a load of laundry going and watch a Masterpiece Theater mystery.

The lawn is yet to be mowed. Maybe today!

A New Ride!

After an unhappy, undistinguished 9 years of transportation service, we recently retired our 2001 Volkswagen Beetle at our neighborhood Toyota dealership.

I know, I know, I've heard all the TV news stories, the newspaper articles and news magazine sidebars about Toyota's recall. Cars speeding out of control. Gas pedals stuck to the floor with no way to stop the car. I am just not convinced the problem has been absolutely been proven to be a chronic issue with any Toyota automobile.

Let's face it, some modern day news reporters aren't known for their unbiased reportage. Hyperbole rules the day. Sappy music underneath supposedly real news stories to add drama? Carefully chosen words that melodramatically paint pictures of ultimate tragedy or catastrophe when, on a global scale, it barely rates mentioning.

I believe Toyota is largely a victim of the hyperbolic rantings of news sources out primarily to boost ratings at the expense of the longtime stellar reputation of the Toyota Motor, Co.

Oh, I am sure that under the right circumstances Toyota is as competitive as the next guy. But unlike many American car companies, they have carefully cultivated and deservedly earned their reputation for building outstanding automobiles. I can't imagine Toyota would frivolously toss aside decades of blood, sweat and tears over a fifty cent repair. And that is why I drove into the parking lot of our local dealership the other day and sat across from a salesperson to negotiate for a brand new Prius.

I have long admired the Prius, not only for its extraordinarily high gas mileage but also for the design team's dedication to building the car of green materials.

So our old VW is retired now after 108,000 miles and a new car representing the newest technology of the 21st century now sits in its place in our garage.

The End Of An Era

Last week an important moment in our adult lives occurred when my wife's mother passed away at the age of 91. She was the last parent and leaving us as orphans in the world. Mom lived quite an amazing life. Having been born at the end of World War I she was a part of the Greatest Generation which lived through many of the great moments in world history over the past 90 years--the Great Depression, World War II, The Cold War years, the space program and raising my wife!

She and her husband lived for three years in post-war Europe. They traveled all over occupied Europe in their little Volkswagen Beetle purchasing beautiful collectables, art and china while Dad flew for Uncle Sam's Army Air Force.

After returning to the U.S. they were stationed at Air Force bases throughout the country until they settled in central California where they spent most of the remainder of their lives. Dad played golf in his retirement and Mom did the same as well as puttering in her garden and engaged in her myriad hobbies ranging from african violets to ceramics to collecting antiques.

Our family will make a pilgrimage back to the California veteran's cemetery where her beloved husband lies. There we will return her to the California she loved so much and next to her beloved husband. The rest of us will just have to get along without them which will take some getting used.

The Willows Wine Dinner

Last Thursday night we headed out to the Lummi Island ferry and took the 10 minute ride across Hales Passage to the eastern shore of the island. A short drive to the northern tip of the island brought us to our favorite B & B in the area--The Willows Inn.

Our purpose for a Thursday night drive over to the Willows was our long awaited wine dinner with chef Greg Higgins of Higgins restaurant in Portland, Oregon. We have dined at Higgins before, usually on our way south to either the Oregon Shakespeare Festival or on to California. Greg's restaurant is one of the highest rated in the country and Greg is a James Beard award winner.

But what makes Higgins such a fabulous place is Chef Higgins food philosophy. He is a strong believer in sustainable, local foods and his belief in this system comes through in everything he lovingly prepares.

Thursday night the theme was "The Whole Hog Dinner." The day before Greg had taught a class on dressing a pig and using all the parts to prep for the Thursday night festivities. I was unable to attend the classes Wednesday, but those that did had wonderful things to say about their experience.

We were the first to arrive Thursday night and that gave us an opportunity to have a wonderful conversation with Greg and his helpers in the kitchen. We just sort of hung out on the edges of the kitchen and watched the preparations.

The appetizers for the evening were presented in the common room adjacent to the dining room. This room with large picture windows looks out across the Strait of Georgia towards the north. The 40 or so guests mingled and noshed on several kinds of raw oysters served on the half shell, a half dozen varieties of fresh hand made salumi, and several kinds of pickled treats including cucumbers and fiddlehead fern fronds. A 2009 Cameron Giovanni Pinot Bianco accompanied these tidbits perfectly.

Next, The Willows proprietor, Riley Starks called us all to dinner in the beautiful candle lit dining room. Greg emerged from the kitchen before each course to explain what we were about to experience and then the wine was discussed by the wine maker himself.

Our first course was "selected bits of our hero" (the pig) which included presskopf, rillettes, and a terrine a la gascogne accompanied by a Cameron Chardonnay.

The main was a porchetta with polenta, wild nettles and braising juices. The porchetta was the hit of the evening. Made of several iterations of the pig, Greg's porchetta versions was stuffed with a delicious sausage with a bit of a kick. The inner layer also had chunks of pig meat that melted in your mouth. The whole thing was wrapped in the skin of the pig and slow roasted over night. The porchetta was sliced into disks about 8 inches in diameter, laid atop the creamy and served with the polenta and hearty greens. Each bit of porchetta surprised the taste buds. Each bit offered flavors and the textures that were lay your head on the table great! The creamy kick of the sausage and the crunchy crispiness of the crackling skin were just to die for. Aong with this cource the Cameron winery served a 2007 Abbey Ridge Pinot Noir and a taste of a magnum of '04 Clos Electique.

Our dessert was an Alsea Acres chevre tart served with a rhubarb compote and wild ginger sauce. It seemed sort of like a fruit and cheese plate. The tart was not sweet as you would expect a dessert but rather allowed the fresh clean taste of the cheese to speak for itself. The 1985 Eugenia wine was a wonderful surprise to finish of the meal.

Sadly, we had to leave early due to it being a school night, so we thanked our hosts and chef Higgins before heading back to the ferry dock for the 10 o'clock ferry home. Thanks Riley and the staff at The Willows as well as Chef Greg Higgins and his staff. for a wonderful and memorable evening. We will be back soon.