Dateline: Prosser, WA
(Middle of the beautiful Yakima Valley and Wine Country)

There comes a time in every man's life that you have to own a farm....BS. But I do and for the first time we are serving some of the plentiful desert harvest at the restaurants. Peas, beans, eggplant, cipollini onions, melons, peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes are some of this first season's bounty. We did fall prey however, to some of nature's clever elements. The Lambert cherries just a day from being picked for Jackie's fabulous brandied cherries were lost to the ravenous Starlings. This is the country after all.

Apricots have been picked, pureed and frozen for fall's roast pork. Goat horn and red sweet peppers are being sliced, diced and combined with summer chanterelles, capers, anchovies and garlic for a harvest season peperonata. Yum!

Never thought I'd see the day when I would be stooped over in the 95 degree heat picking green beans from bushy shrubs and presenting them at our joints. (Fortunately for me, I've got my in-laws Jim and Sharon to do most of the dirty work while I'm back in Seattle!) I've always been the buyer (and still am) from earthy types at our restaurant back doors. This is so not me. But here I am.

Go figure.