Quillisascut Farm
Introduction to the Culinary Arts Course
YOU’RE OUTNUMBERED almost five to one on Quillisascut Farm; there are 50 goats on the premises, and only about a dozen students taking a four-day class in cooking basics. The goats earn their keep by providing milk for cheese and meat for eating; you’ll do it by helping prepare your meals in the farm’s shared bunkhouse. Rick and Lora Lea Misterly have owned their acreage for three decades, making cheese near the sunny shores of Lake Roosevelt in Eastern Washington.
Teacher Kären Jurgensen of the Seattle Culinary Academy leads the intensive round of workshops for amateur cooks who’d like to try dicing like a pro. Lessons start with kitchen terminology and how to prepare a mise en place; by the end of the course, you should be a convert to method-based (not recipe-based) cooking. And between the 50 goats and the creatively named Libby the Dreadful Guard Dog, you’ll probably have made a few new friends.
Do-It-Yourself Trips
Out-of-Town Farmers Markets
OLYMPIA FARMERS MARKET
Under the blue roof of the capital’s bazaar, fresh wares are for sale April through December. Local troubadours play a stage flanked by prepared-food stands while, in the main aisles, lines form at Stewart’s Meat Market and San Francisco Street Bakery stands. Thu–Sun 10am–3pm (Sat & Sun 10am–3pm Nov–Dec), 700 Capitol Way N, 360-352-9096; olympiafarmersmarket.com
BELLINGHAM FARMERS MARKET
The area’s funky flavor is expressed in market traditions: On opening day in April, a cabbage is ritually tossed by city officials. Hazelnuts, offered by multiple farmers, are an in-market treat, while Boundary Bay Brewery, across the street, is a good follow-up. Sat 10am–3pm, Chestnut & Railroad Sts, 360-647-2060; bellinghamfarmers.org
PUYALLUP FARMERS MARKET
There’s elbow room in historic Pioneer Park, home to one of the largest markets in the state. That means there’s space for up to 150 merchants from April to October, including lots of flower sellers. Multiple farmers feature peaches in late summer, a market highlight—stock up on the drippy treats from Ennis Farms and Martin Family Orchards. Sat & Sun 9am–2pm, 330 S Meridian, 253-267-4089; puyallupmainstreet.com
PORT TOWNSEND FARMERS MARKET
The market concept may be timeless, but it’s the age of the debit card at a market recently named as the state’s best: A modified ATM dispenses tokens good for produce, meats, and crafts throughout the growing season. Save a token for Mt. Townsend Creamery’s signature Seastack, a cow’s milk cheese with the tang of a goat’s milk product. Sat 9am–2pm, Tyler St between Clay and Lawrence Sts, 360-379-9098; jeffersoncountyfarmersmarket.org
PORTLAND FARMERS MARKET
During last year’s market season, fresh freaks in Portland numbered 33,000 per week at the six arms of the city’s main market. It’s built a varied roster of vendors over two decades; these days you can find 15 different cuts of lamb at SuDan Lamb and Asian greens grown by an ex-Laotian soldier. Sat 8:30am–2pm (9am–2pm Nov–Dec), SW Park Ave & SW Montgomery St, 503-241-0032; portlandfarmersmarket.org
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