Our friends at Kids Table Food (Jesse & Haley Jane) and Twin Willow Farm (Koji & Lizzy) made magical food history this month over a series of seven summer dinners.
So, who are they? Great question!
Kid's Table Food should sound familiar to the seasoned "Pea". These food and wine loving kiddos at heart bring together the flavors and techniques of Japanese cuisine while sourcing and elevating local (Cascadian -- for now) produce. Jesse is the main brain behind the food, and Haley Jane finds the amazing pours to go along with each dish. Both humans in this amazing pair have extensive and vast experiences that is clearly reflected in their harmonious courses. I have now had the honor of attending my third dinner in the many years I've known them. The earlier dinners can be found written up here and here. Make sure to keep an eye out for them via their website as they'll be meandering down to Portland and then a hop, skip and a jump away to Japan.
Twin Willow Farm, although new to this blog, are not new to food and farming. The pair are locally born and raised Pacific Northwesterners who found a growing curiosity in our food systems and eventually landed themselves on farms around the world. Lucky for us that they landed back home (just outside Everett) in 2017. Koji and Lizzy strongly believe that food is central to bringing people together, for healing, for fighting climate change, and that its' education can be directly related to injustices in our country. I encourage you to visit their website and read more about them and their farming philosophies.
Together, these two amazing friends (+ couples) brainstormed and planned an immersive dinner series that allowed the community to gather over a dinner so original -- you've never seen it before. The idea to them was simple, "vegetables from the farm, proteins from producers in the community, wines from friends". They gifted us an unforgettable evening with amazing food, and divine company. This was a space that encouraged you to talk to the strangers sitting across from you which these days is rare. The beautiful thing was that everyone was somehow connected to each other, to one of our friends and/or loosely to the communities we all find ourselves in. We talked about our lives, our work, our dreams, and other common interests that we found we had (after a couple wine pours). We left with bellies full, smiles wide and new friendships and local farmers we knew that we could get behind and support. This is an experience you can't miss. Who knew that a dinner with strangers could feel so much like a home cooked meal with your loved ones?!
[Pictured: Twin Willow Farmers (Koji & Lizzy), and Kid's Table Food (Haley Jane & Jesse). Photograph by Troy Osaki]
See below slideshow of the immersive dining experience and scroll further down to read an interview from the curators themselves. The descriptions of the photos are added as alternative text and provide extra context.
Love Letter
GARDEN, MTN, SEA
The first course was a vast variety of fun small bites that had depth of flavor, great texture and was presently so nicely on seashells. We all wish we had more of each. Although I don't remember all of what was presented but it included fish skin, raspberry ravioli, burdock root, leafy greens, pig foot, and more.
The Tablecloth Trick
TOFU, BROTH
"Tofu" made by transforming kelp in a cold tomato flavored broth. It reminded me of a lighter gazpacho, it was refreshing and had a great umami flavor from the tomato.
The Throes of It
FRIED THINGS
Rounds of deliciously fried & salted things.
Extra Dish Not Listed
I believe this was dehydrated beef with blueberries on top of a leafy green. It had a fun mix of flavors from the hearty meat and sweetness from the berries and a fun crunch from the leafy greens. I ended up rolling it to a hand roll to eat it all in one bite.
Depths of Comfort
EGG, MILPA
Depths of Comfort is indeed an appropriate name for this dish. Egg, milpa (Google the term), kelp and more. It reminded me of a warm and cozy bowl of porridge with lovely textured toppings, and made me feel right at home.
After Work, Gary Snyder
MUSHROOM, CABBAGE, TOMATILLO
Mushrooms, cabbage and tomatillo were brought together for this lovely dish.
Toes in the Dirt
GRAINS, VEGGIES
Delicious variety of grains and veggies all in the form of sushi. They were too cute and so fun to eat. If I had kids, this might be how I'd get to them eat a bigger variety of things!
The Fricative
BEEF, ONION, FRUIT
Beef and onion and fruit all brought together for this gorgeous plate. The beef was so delicious and just melted in your mouth and paired so well with the fruits and herb.
The Sweet of It
RICE, MISO
This rice and miso dish was a delicious and bittersweet end to our dinner. Each individual serving had a cut out of a rooster/hen or a hand carved carrot cookie. Nothing to end the night like a heartwarming dessert.
Just some other fun things from our curators...
What can you tell us about how this pop-up collaboration came to be? We were having dinners over the course of the past pandemic year and keeping our ears open to the Rumors of things opening up again, with the hope of hosting dinners with our community, especially with the prospect of working with the farm and all of its bounty. It took the better part of the summer to put things together, but it has all been worth it for the handful of dinners that we were able to organize. The love and joy poured into our cups was incommensurate.
What was the hardest dish or flavor to conceptualize / execute? We embarked on a dish that would bring together multiple elements that didn't express immediate romance, once we decided upon the ingredients, we decided we were Never Going Back Again. It was undoubtedly the potato and blueberry soup. Hands down. Did you have a favorite dish this go around? To make, and or to taste? Truth be told, we had many favorites during this series. Two that come to mind are the Tomato and Kelp soup ("Tablecloth Trick") and the raspberry shio koji dumpling (In the love letter course). Both truly came to fruition over many trials, tastings and tribulations. When you think you have a good idea, Don't Stop playing around until you reach goodness. What has been your favorite part about working together? Will we see another collaboration down the line? This series has been so busy and so much hard work, but it has also been so much fun. We love our producers, we love this place, we love this work. When you're that deeply immersed in a community of thoughtful, creative and hardworking folks, you just think to yourself, "Oh Daddy, You Make Loving Fun!!!" In short, there will be more collaborations to come. What, or where, can we expect to see your respective businesses in the next year? Many have encouraged us to Go Our Own Way, but we are invested in continuing relationships with the producers that made this series so successful. Big thanks to Sno Valley Mushrooms, Stoked Oak Farms, Skagit River Ranch, the Gold Dust Woman, Hogstead Farms and the rest of The Chain. Do you have a current drink or food or restaurant/bar obsession this summer? At this point, it's Secondhand News that the pandemic has ravaged our restaurant industry. Still, so many inspiring pivots have been made by Seattle restaurants and we're thrilled that the GM of Tamari Bar has volunteered his wonderful son as our farm intern. He's our obsession this summer. Is there any trend, technique, or philosophy you want to see in the future of food / farming? We're stoked to see the World Turning its attention more and more towards local foodways and small producers. These producers can grow culturally relevant foods and we are privileged enough to have the time and space to present it to our community in an accessible way. We were able to host a hundred people on the farm in an intimate and hyper focused environment with the intention of being a Song Bird for this movement.
Thank you to Jesse & Haley Jane! Thank you to Lizzy and Koji!
Thank you to the diners, farmers, cultivators, and wine makers who made this night possible.
Featured..
Wines by @chateau.deluxe @wtvintners @tahomafujisake
Pork by @hogstead_farmstead
Beef by @skagitriverranch
Mushrooms by @snovalleymushrooms
Eggs by @stokedoakfarm
Vegetables by @twinwillowfarmers
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