Foodies Delight!

We had a marvelous adventure in rural PEI at a “culinary farm” – a four+ hour feast starting at 4pm.

I thought, with most of PEI shutting down for the winter despite the beautiful weather, we might be the only ones going. The feast began with introductory chat (with local effervescent wine - can’t say champagne!) describing the meal for the nearly sold out group of some 40 guests.

They explained how they grow everything “with intent” to make maximum use for “flavor and texture” for the entire life of the plant.  Kevin, the farmer, explained there were two guiding principles: choose plants varieties based on their flavor and texture, and use the plants at all stages of their life cycle.  He used cilantro as an example: the earliest “microgreens” leaves that pop up at germination are quite different than the later leaves. The later leaves are what are usually seen in the markets. The stems can make an interesting flavor for steeping. The flowers are used in some of their complex green salads. The fresh seeds (usually known as coriander) are used as a spice. The mature dried seeds (as seen in the markets) are pickled to break down the coarse husk and used as accents in some dishes. Finally the root is dried and ground into a powder for flavoring.

Cukemelons, delicious little cucumbers that look like watermelons. One of the few photos that came out well.

We then went through some of their fields. This year they are growing 16 varieties of beets in their test garden, with two plantings. Each year they test one plant to see what provides them the best “flavor and texture” (he must have repeated that phrase 100 times) with their soil, weather, and with their recipes. There are two plantings to test which works best for which part of the growing season. Each test is an eight foot row time sixteen varieties times two plantings -- all carefully documented. Last year I think they did a huge variety of mints; Barbara thinks they tested 35, and decided to keep ongoing with a dozen varieties. Different mnts for different recipes. Some mints have good flavor but are coarse and fuzzy, so are used for steeping. Other mints have a gentler texture so are great to puree into a sauce. And so forth.

I could go on for another few paragraphs about tilling, farming, equipment and … but I will spare our readers. So onward to the Oyster Bar, an outdoor area with half a dozen stations. One was shucked oysters on the half shell cooked on embers with lavage butter. Another station was a really-all-you-can-eat raw oyster bar, with two different oysters (from PEI, of course) with or without thier cocktail sauce. Another station was roasted chicken hearts over coals - a Brazilian favorite when I lived there. Another station had little mini tortillas with roasted zuchini, kimchee from broccoli stems and a a varity of sauces. As was every thing else, all were cooked over wood fires. Another station was freshly apple-wood smoked local salmon. Finally a copper oven with roasted bone marrow over roasted beets. Plus a wine bar and some exotic drinks, such as a rose gin and tonic, and marigold blueberry martini.  All this was just the hors-d’oeuvres.  Yummm!

The main meal was served inside, next to their wall of fire. A whole wall of brick stoves and ovens burning local wood, from very hot to very slow. Just about everything is cooked in cast iron skillets. I won’t go through the entire meal. However, because Barbara does collages, this photo has most of the highlights of the feast.

The apres-desert ending was apple marshmallows, which we roasted over an open fire outdoors. The marshmellows were intensely apple flavored; there was no slice of apple involved. My niece Olive made marschmellows for us on Criehaven several years ago. Since we have good apples on island, we should try it again.  

The Inn at Bay Fortune, PEI, Chef Michael Smith. I didn’t expect to spend so much for dinner for two out in the boonies, but it was worth it. The cookbook was extra.

The foodie adventures continued. Across the road from our campground was a genuine salt-water farm people dream about. Fresh eggs in a cooler at the road (help yourself, leave $5 in the cooler), a huge diverse veggie and spice garden, all with a close view of the salt pond growing oysters and mussels. They also grow beef, but didn’t have any to sell since they had just sent the steer to slaughter the day before and hadn’t gotten the beef back yet. 

Barbara and the farmer’s wife “went wild” through the garden, cutting this, taking that, and filling up the very large bag we had brought. Barbara also got a nice bunch of flowers for the dinner table. 

Barbara then spoiled me, using the aforementioned cookbook. We enjoyed a magnificent, but slightly reduced in scaled, meal: Leek potato mushroom chicken stew and grilled yellow squash with a poblano corn salsa. 

Delicious! I don’t get cooked for very often. Life is good.