It’s been pretty quiet around here for the last few…okay nine months, hasn’t it? I would apologize for my lack of activity but endless articles have lamented bloggers apologizing for their absences.  So instead, I shall catch you up on my adventures and share with you my new vision for this space and my biggest adventure of all.

So what exactly has kept me away from blogging for so long? Well, in November, the Boy and I headed to Curacao for a little bit of rest and relaxation.  He played with a shark and I was felt up by a dolphin.  We both may have fallen in love with room service (our resort was almost an hour’s drive away from the main city area).  And I got quite possibly the worst pedicure of my life, all while listening to the spa employee’s convoluted love life (at one point she took out paper and pen to draw me a diagram of her relationships…I DIAGRAM, people!).

After living in DC for well over three years, I FINALLY was lucky enough to get my hands on a National Tree Lighting ticket.  It involved bartering a box of cookies for my co-worker’s extra ticket (she’s lived in DC less than a YEAR and she won the lottery for FIVE tickets).  And I must say, it truly put me in the Christmas spirit. There were carolers, free hot chocolate (we learned about this AFTER they ran out though) and smiling faces. Not to mention, it was the most efficiently run event I’ve ever been to in DC.  We moved through the line at lightning speed and were in our seats before you could say, “Have a holly, jolly Christmas”.

Most of my time, however, has been spent improving my baking skills.  And by improving my baking skills, I mean many, many hours of learning the science of baking and the art of decorating.  The results have been me purchasing a pink pair of Crocs (don’t you dare judge me) to allow my feet to keep up with the demands of my baking; me learning that Brawny can play a significant role in cake decorating; me learning that Williams-Sonoma is great for the casual cook but not very helpful for someone who is trying to bake at a more professional level; me learning that modeling chocolate is way cooler than fondant; and me discovering a true passion in my life.  I’ve also been pretty damn proud of what’s come out of my kitchen over the last few months:

I’ve had many, many laughs with friends and shared unbelievable sorrow and sadness with family.  I’ve witnessed the power of love and the heartache of saying goodbye.  I’ve watched the triumph of my sister’s successful fight against cancer (for the second time, mind you) and had the love of my life look me in the eye and ask me to spend the rest of my life with him.  Which leads me to where I am now.  In the middle of planning a wedding AND trying my hand at becoming a professional baker.  The wedding part has been easy…and actually kind of funny. So much so, I started (and then forgot about) a blog mocking the wedding industry.

This morning, as I was staring down at my Hello Kitty slippers (an awesome gift from an amazing friend), it hit me that all of the things that have happened over the last nine months would make a great story.  A story I wanted to share with the community I’ve grown to love here.  Sure it’s not a recipe or even strictly about food, but it’s about my adventures.  So why was I hiding away my observations about the ridiculousness of buying a wedding dress that looked like a duvet cover? Why was I not sharing my first disastrous attempts at making modeling chocolate or the rush I feel when I finish a successful cake?  Or how The Boy and I plan to celebrate our upcoming nuptials in high 1940s fashion?

This blog may have started out as a chronicle of my love of food but there are so many other stories I’d like to tell.  So these are the New Adventures…of Shaw Girl.

In case you’ve been under a rock or locked in your house watching nothing but Jersey Shore reruns (who am I to judge…I watch Rock of Love), we’re expecting a bit o’snow this weekend in DC.  In preparation for what apparently is going to be the biggest storm to hit DC EVER (what??? I’m just jumping on the over-panic bandwagon), I decided to try out some new recipes while snowed in.  I threw out the challenge to my beloved Twitterati and before I knew it, everyone was planning their snOMG menus:

• The Black Dog is making cheddar bacon corn pancakes and French Onion Soup. He’s probably also going to make the lovely Maker’s Mark Cider that Mazzie whipped up on Thanksgiving (and by whipped up, I mean she just freely poured the booze into the mulled cider).  Truth be told, my entire Twitterati family will probably be making this.
• Brian is still trying to decide what he’s going to make (not that I’m pressuring him or anything).
• @frijolita is making White Chicken Chili, buttered rosemary rolls, tomato soup, some sort of muffins and I think pretty much everything else she’s ever wanted to make.
• @floridagirlindc has narrowed down her list to a nice sized chunk of cooking.
• @nikki_d is making stuffed poissons, making & canning salsa verde and her beloved is making oxtail stew.
• @the_val will be making a multigrain bread from Cook’s Illustrated
• Olga’s still in snow denial but I hope she’ll come up with something tasty!

So what am I going to make?  Well, @the_val suggested a lovely modern coq au vin recipe from Cook’s Illustrated that I MUST try (if I can find any food left once I get to Whole Foods), some yeasted waffles for Saturday morning and Alton Brown’s chiffon cup cakes! 

To make this even more fun, I’d love for everyone to share their snOMG (or a new Twitter hashtag that Mazzie brought to my attention: snowlyshit) baking and cooking results with me!  If you have a blog and post about them, send me the link or put it here in the comments section.  If you don’t have a blog but have a camera (even if it’s a cellphone camera), take pictures and email them to me at adventuresinshaw@gmail.com.  And if the recipe is available online, include a link to it in your email.  I’ll do a round-up of all this baking and cooking madness next week right here!  Feel free to share what you plan to make too in the comments below.  And in case you can’t tell, I’m totally excited about Snowpocalypse 2: Electric Boogaloo!  Now if only I can talk my boss into letting me leave early for Whole Foods…

One of my favorite non-profit organizations in DC, Common Good City Farm, is hosting a fundraising event called Sounds of Hope on Friday, September 18th at the Potters House.  As some of you may already know, Common Good City Farm (formerly the 7th Street Garden) provides hands on farming experience while educating the public about healthy eating and sustainable agriculture.  Common Good City Farm also provides lower income residents with access to fresh produce.  As with most non-profits, fundraising events like Sounds of Hope help Common Good City Farm to continue in their mission.  This event is a fun way to support a great cause and the Potters House is a wonderful venue to host it!  So come on out next Friday starting at 7 pm for wonderful live music, drinks and food!  For more information about the event, go to Common Good City Farm’s website.   Also, volunteers are needed to help pull this event off.  If you’re interested in helping set up, man the door or clean up afterwards, email Common Good City Farm as soon as possible.

If you can’t make the Sounds of Hope event, but would still like an opportunity to volunteer with Common Good City Farm, you’re in luck!  The farm was extended the opportunity to have an information table at the Heart of DC Picnic event next Saturday (September 19th).  The picnic will be held at Mount Vernon Square (801 K Street NW) from 11 am to 5 pm.  The farm is in need of two volunteers to manage the table during the event.  If you have at least 2 hours you can spare next Saturday, please consider helping out!  This event will be a great way for Common Good City Farm to connect with the community and it can’t be done without the help of volunteers!  Email Common Good City Farm as soon as possible (the Heart of DC Picnic event organizers need to know by Monday if Common Good can fully man a table at the picnic) if you’re interested.

Don’t adjust your sets…it is in fact The Boy writing this little missive.  I’m sure you are all wondering why Shaw Girl hasn’t posted more peach recipes lately.  Unfortunately, some health concerns have come up and she is unable to do much cooking or photographing.  So as much as this pains her, she will have to put Adventures in Shaw on hiatus until she gets better.  Hopefully you guys will understand and not throw rotten tomatoes at the screen.  Make this with them instead.

Oh yeah, that’s me…and that’s the sky.  As you can clearly see, there is a man strapped to my back and I’m pretty much hurtling to the ground.  I was bat shit terrified on the plane, but I did it…and it was fan-fucking-tastic!

As you may remember, I was supposed to have jumped eons ago, but to say Skydive Orange is unorganized is an understatement.  On our first attempt to jump, we were skipped over.  When I noticed everyone in my training class had finished their jumps, I started to wonder.  But when I noticed people who showed up waaaaay after me and my friend were jumping, I got pissed.  And no one wants to deal with a pissed Shaw Girl.  I may come off all cheery and “Oh, let me bake you some fresh scones” nice, but the bitch comes out when she’s needed.  I firmly pointed out that my friend and I had been skipped.  They alleged there were scheduling issues with the videographer, but that was hard to believe since there was always at least one videographer on the ground…idly chatting away with his buddies.  But almost immediately, as if by magic, our names showed up on the board for the next jump…just in time for plane malfunctions.  We got in our suits, even got on the plane and went up in the air.   But the engine couldn’t get us up high enough to jump, so the pilot headed back to the hangar.  All jumps were shelved until the plane could be fixed.  By this time, we’d been there for well over five hours and there was no telling when (or even if) the plane would be operational again.  So we begrudgingly rescheduled…something I didn’t want to do at all.  While there were some nice people there, there was also a lot of (how can I say this nicely?) frat boy behavior.  I’m not a prude in the least, but when I’m about to jump out of a freakin’ plane, I don’t want to see numerous bumper stickers expressing your extreme fondness for a particular sexual activity.  I also would prefer not to see you rudely throwing gear at a woman obviously frightened out of her mind because this is her first jump.  On that first trip, the tandem students were pretty much treated as an inconvenience…something only marginally better than what was at the bottom of the tandem instructor’s shoes.  Considering how excited we were when we arrived at the hangar, it was crushing to be greeted with this disorganized, rude and often callous attitude.  The staff’s attitude could best be summarized by a sign prominently posted at the front desk:  “Quality, Safety, Customer Service…Pick Two”.  But Skydive Orange doesn’t offer refunds, so we were forced to either eat the over $300 cost or reschedule.  I left so disappointed, I was almost in tears.  As you know, we stopped at Ray’s Hellburger to console ourselves, but I dreaded having to deal with Skydive Orange again.

On the morning of our second attempt, I woke up to a lot of cloud cover.  Because Orange, Virginia is over an hour and a half away from DC, I called to check and see if the cloud cover would be a problem.  I was told there wasn’t any cloud cover in Orange and that the forecast looked great.  I nervously asked “Are you sure? We’re scheduled to jump at 10 and the clouds here look bad.”  I was assured the clouds were fine and that there shouldn’t be a problem.  Uhmmm…no.  As we were pulling up to the PARKING LOT, my friend gets a call from one of the employees saying the clouds were delaying all jumps…since 8 FUCKIN’  a.m.  Wanna know what time I called?  Around 7:50!  When we walked into the hangar, there were a ton of people…apparently no one had jumped yet that day!  Seriously????? I was so upset, I was practically shaking.  We had driven all the way to Orange…for nothing.  As with before, there was no organization…tandem students were trying to find out from each other what was going on (as the instructors were once again treating the students as if they didn’t exist).  We finally found out from (of all people) the mechanic that the chance of anyone jumping that day was nonexistent.  I didn’t trust myself to be civil, so I let my friend do most of the talking, scheduling us for a THIRD attempt to skydive.

On our third attempt, I woke up to a gorgeous day…and something told me in my gut that we were going to finally jump.  When we arrived at Skydive Orange, the atmosphere was completely different.  The front desk was being managed by a woman who clearly knew what she was doing.  She collected our receipts and assured us we would be jumping shortly.  We still had to go through the ground training (even though this was our third time), but I’m very glad we did!  The guy leading this training was much more thorough than our previous ground training instructor.  I learned several tips that I can confidently say helped to make my jump so smooth.  I was assigned to an excellent tandem instructor.  He was quiet, which at first made me think he was aloof.  But it turned out he was just very calm and very level headed.  Unlike the many young maverick wanna be’s floating around the hangar (some walked around without their shirts, doing push ups and handstands to prove their strength…I was seriously waiting for a bunch of them to whip out their units and start measuring each other), this guy was experienced and professional.  He completely lacked the cockiness (and annoying douchebaggery…oh yeah, that’s a word) of the others.  My friend was also lucky enough to be assigned a great instructor…a laid back and all around friendly guy who flat out said he loved sharing the experience of a person’s first skydive.  Hands down he was one of the few tandem instructors who seemed to have that attitude.  I once again saw other students being treated like dirt by a few instructors, but we lucked out.

I’m not going to lie…once we got on the plane, I was fucking terrified.  I usually don’t mind flying, but the wind was causing a bit of turbulence.  And considering how small the plane was, that little turbulence was magnified to scary proportions.  It helped tremendously to have my friend with me on the plane.  My instructor also calmly assured me that the turbulence was nothing and that if worse came to worse, we’d just jump off early.  To help allay my fears, he had me watch as he hooked our harnesses together.  He also went over some additional tips and let me know what to expect at every stage.  I think I mostly nodded and sat open mouthed, staring out into the sky.  I kept thinking to myself “What the fuck are you doing??? There’s nothing wrong with this plane!!! Why are you jumping out of it??? Stay the fuck inside!!!”

But something inside of me clicked and I realized this was about so much more than just a simple jump.  And here is the cathartic revelation (insert cheesy mellow music here):

I have always been a good girl…always doing what was expected of me, what was right.  I never did anything to upset the apple cart because I was afraid…afraid to reach for something higher…afraid to try something new for fear of failure.  That fear has led me to abandon things that could have been fruitful…not try harder because a voice said inside of me to be happy with the status quo.  I never did a lot of things because of fear…including my almost crippling fear of heights.  I had let fear rule my life for a long time…and I was tired of it.

I’m 33 years old folks…I may not look it, but I am.  I’ve come to a point in my life that I have to stop punishing myself for past mistakes.  I have battled weight issues all of my life and being a good cook hasn’t helped.  A few years ago, I lost a huge amount of weight, but over the last few years, I’ve slowly started to put it back on.  And in a family of thin wome with high metabolisms, it’s hard being the one with hips.  I’ve belittled myself to the point of tears because I allowed my weight to become a problem again.  I’ve longingly looked at pictures of when I was a size 2 and berated myself for gaining so much back.  A voice in my head has repeatedly said “See, you’ll always be the big girl…you’ll never be beautiful again.”  Yes, I’ve had all of these thoughts and when we got up to the opening of the plane, they were all tumbling around in my head.  I looked down at the Earth and for the first time in a long time, I thought to myself “You can do anything”…and then I jumped.  When you’ve fallen rapidly towards the ground with nothing but a (hopefully functional) parachute keeping you safe, suddenly nothing seems insurmountable.  I felt so free…the view was gorgeous and not one single bad thought came into my head.  How could it, when I got to see this view:

I wish I could describe the feeling I had floating up there…the sheer euphoria of watching my feet dangling so high above the Earth.  I can say that it’s a feeling I will never forget…something I won’t ever let myself forget.  Because I finally felt free for those few minutes I was up there.  I didn’t worry about how I looked or what I said or if I was making other people happy…I was just being me.  And as ABC Afterschool Special as it may sound, I realized being me wasn’t so bad after all.  I’m not saying this jump completely changed my life and I’m now a size 2 with no worries or cares.  This week alone I cried yet again as I tried to fit into something I no longer could wear.  But unlike before, when I would just give up and let the negative voices tell me I’d never succeed, I sucked it up.  I wrote to a few friends and they shared their take on their own struggles with weight.  But in the end, I realized it was up to me to make those changes.  And not because of vanity…but because I want to be healthy again.  I want to be able to walk up the stairs in my apartment without getting winded.  I want to eat better, not just so I can lose pounds on the scale but because I FEEL better when I do it.  I want to be free of constantly worrying…constantly fearing what others may think of my body.  I want to be free of punishing myself for loving food.

So I’ve started exercising again (it helps that the gym is literally a block from my apartment) and I’ve made a stronger commitment to being conscious of what goes in my body.  I will never go on a diet because I don’t think diets are realistic.  Sure you may lose the weight.  But once you do, unless you’ve changed your eating habits, it will come back.  Instead, I’m changing how I relate to my food and being a more conscientious food consumer.  Although I already buy a majority of my food from local sources, with a little planning, my goal is to get at least 85% of what goes into my body from farms and local food purveyors.  I want to be able to talk to the people growing and making the food I eat so I can make better choices.

But most importantly, I’m going to finally stop being afraid.  I’m not really sure how my little post about skydiving ended up being such a confessional, but there it is.  Even though the hassles with Skydive Orange were tremendous, they were all forgotten when I was floating in the sky.  Much to my mother’s chagrin, I would definitely do it again…just not at Skydive Orange.

Uhmmm, but seriously folks, all good vibrations and feel good revelations aside, don’t go to Skydive Orange.  We got lucky with our tandem instructors that day but the place is poorly run.  And knowing they’ve had two deaths in the last year (something I didn’t discover until AFTER I paid them money) doesn’t really surprise me considering the level of disorganization.  Although both deaths were ruled accidental, you have to wonder how two could occur so close to each other.  And although Skydive Orange will tell you otherwise, there is another fully accredited (and highly reviewed…oh if only I had Googled better) option for tandem skydiving in the DC area: Skydive Virginia.  It may be a little further out, but I’m definitely going to give them a try for my next jump!

The local food movement has gathered steam over the last two decades, bringing with it an intent to educate the American public about the food they eat.  Considered one of the founders of this movement, Alice Waters has been championing organic and locally grown, in season produce for years.  Her teachings have helped to bring about a higher consciousness of agribusiness and how it feeds us.  Taking this idea of following the food we eat from its beginnings one step further, Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” showed how corn truly is king in the United States.  This movement towards more informed food choices is even the subject of a new documentary, Food Inc.  And as more people demand to be better informed about the food they are placing on their family table, farmers markets have become a hot commodity.

The desire to speak directly with those who are growing your food has helped to make the farmers market concept popular throughout the United States.  In the DC metro area, there are well over 30 farmers markets (in my neighborhood alone, there are three).  These markets not only help to bring healthy, quality, locally grown produce to the urbanites of DC, it also provides the farmers a steady consumer base for their products.  The markets also give consumers the opportunity to learn about the farms and the farmers, providing a direct pipeline of information from the farm to the table.  This concept of understanding the transition from the farm to the table has been taken one step further with farm to table events.  One such event was held in Loudon County, Virginia on the Moutoux Orchard and hosted by Vermillion Restaurant.  I was lucky enough to be able to attend thanks to a proposal I submitted for the FoodBuzz 24, 24, 24 monthly blog event.  So last Saturday, under a gorgeous blue sky, I headed out to Loudoun County, Virginia to find out where my food comes from.

Vermillion Restaurant, located in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, is known for its conscientious efforts to use locally sourced produce, meats, dairy products and other ingredients.  Executive Chef Tony Chittum, a recent Rammy award winner for Rising Culinary Star, seeks out local farmers and producers to partner with, bringing farm fresh ingredients to the heart of Old Town.  Out of this partnership came the natural progression of bringing diners to the farm itself for an evening of stellar food and the chance to break bread with those who grew it.  The setting for this event was the Moutoux Orchard in Purceville, Virginia, a little more than an hour’s drive from Washington, DC.  The Moutoux Orchard is a tapestry of beautiful trees bearing the fruit of their famous peaches.  Driving up to the site, I saw an endless stretch of the peach trees juxtaposed against a crisp, blue sky.  The orchard has been owned by the Moutoux family for three generations and has expanded with its own community supported agriculture program.  Their fruits can also be found at the Dupont Circle Farmers Markets on Sunday mornings.  Rob Moutoux, Jr. has also begun growing wheat, spelt, rye and barley, using chemical free farming practices.  The Moutoux family graciously opened up its orchard for the Summer Solstice Supper, allowing guests to meander around their orchards and fields.

The event started with a reception in the peach orchard, which included a selection of Horton Wines.  Dennis Horton first began making wines in earnest in 1983 on a small vineyard in Virginia.  Dennis grew his vineyard into a very successful winery, bringing distinctly French winemaking techniques to the Virginia countryside.  After carefully researching the numerous variety of grapes, Dennis found that the Viognier plant would thrive in the humid Virginia climate.  His work with these grapes have led to award winning wines, including the first and only sparkling Viognier wine in the world, the “Dom Virginion”.  I was hesitant to try any of the wines because I am not an oenophile and find that wines tend to muddy my taste buds.  However, after hearing the compliments being bandied around the reception, I decided to try their orchard peach champagne cocktail, a glass of their Sparkling Viognier NV with a splash of their peach wine.  I was pleasantly surprised by the clean and crisp flavor of the cocktail and the immediate essence of peach permeating it.  I will not even begin to attempt a description of its taste, as I haven’t a clue what terms wine lovers use to describe it.  But I will say the cocktail left me with a willingness to try the other wines available throughout the night.

To offset the flow of wine, platters of appetizers were circulated throughout the white tent erected for the reception.  Fresh sausage was tossed with a snap pea slaw while the sweetness of beets was paired with an Alberene ash goat cheese.  The start of Summer squash season was heralded with grilled Summer squash coupled with a Virginia feta.  And fresh eggs were highlighted in a frittata of potatoes, leeks and Virginia ham.  All of the produce was harvested the day before – evident by the sweetness of the beets and the tangy earthiness of the squash.  A live blue grass band rounded out the trifecta of good wine, good food and good music, making for a lovely start to the warm Summer night.

We were allowed to wander around the orchard, so I headed off to take a closer look at the peach trees.  Being from Georgia, I should be more familiar with peach orchards and trees.  Sadly, however, my years in Augusta did not afford me the opportunity to pick my own peaches straight from the trees.  Because of this, I never had a fresh peach until I moved to Washington, DC.  And one of the very first peaches I ate was a Moutoux Orchard peach I bought from the Dupont Circle Farmers Market.  The peach was sweet and soft, reminding me nothing of the hard and bitter peaches I was used to from the neighborhood Piggly Wiggly.  The Moutoux Orchard was breathtakingly beautiful, a surreal experience coming from the concrete of DC to the serenity of this striking land.  Not far from the barn was a small patch of lettuce, some of the very same varieties I had purchased that morning from the 14th & U farmers market.  Some of the lettuce was hooded with thick plastic sheeting, one of the many non-chemical methods used by farmers to ward off pests.  And even further out was a staked out pen of chickens, all freely roaming the land and eating the grass.  Unlike the crowded pens of the larger chicken companies, there were only a small amount of chickens aimlessly wandering a large section of land.  After seeing footage of the Purdue and Tyson chicken coops, it was refreshing to watch these animals walk around free of cages.

The reception gave guests the chance to not only sample the Horton Wines, but also a wonderful opportunity to speak with the farmers.  Ellen Polishuk of Potomac Vegetable Farms, one of my favorite Takoma Park Farmers Market vendors, discussed how Potomac Vegetable Farm is actually a consortium of three farmers working land in Fairfax and Loudoun County.  Ellen works 20 of the 180 acres of land owned by the Newcombs in Loudoun County, while Hiu Newcomb and her daughter Hana work the original farm land in Vienna.  Ellen begun working the original Vienna farm back in the ‘70’s because of her interest in farming and alternative farming practices.  Organic farming got its first huge hay day in the ‘70s and Ellen was fascinated by using non-chemical techniques to grow produce.  Her passion led her to get a degree in horticulture from Virginia Tech.  Now the manager of the production farm in Loudoun County, Ellen takes seriously the business of organic farming.  On several occasions throughout the evening, Ellen was more than happy to discuss her love of composting and offered tips on modified composting for those who live in the heart of a bustling city like DC.  She jokingly lamented the problems with deer, saying they just adore beets.  As a deterrent, the farms cover the crops with the thick, white plastic sheeting I saw earlier covering the lettuce.  Fencing also is used to help keep the deer away from the crops and was evident all around the orchard and neighboring farmland.

Organic farming techniques were a continued point of conversation throughout the night.  Chip and Susan Planck of Wheatland Vegetable Farms were happy to talk about the methods they used to preserve their crops without the use of chemicals.  The Plancks have been farming since the early 70’s and have always had an eye for using methods that were ecologically friendly.  “It’s not just good food, it’s a responsible way of life,” Susan said, echoing the same sentiment heard over and over during the night.  Like Ellen, the Plancks first started working on the Potomac Vegetable Farms in the ‘70s.  Out of their work came a strong love of the land and of farming, leading them to start their own farm on 35 acres of land adjacent to the Potomac Vegetable Farms.  Chip sees himself not only as a farmer but a steward of the land, passing on what he’s learned to the many college students who work the land during their Summers.  Like the Newcomb family, Chip and Susan want to pass on the information they’ve learned to encourage future generations to continue the legacy of sustainable agriculture and responsible farming.  Although they had been working earlier in the day, the Plancks showed no signs of fatigue as they mingled with the guests at the reception.

As it reached closer to dinner time, Clare Parker, director of private dining, special events and wholesale accounts for the Neighborhood Restaurant Group (the force behind Vermillion among other noted DC area restaurants), suggested I head over to the farm to get pictures of the table before the start of the meal.  The walk from the orchard to the farm took us through Rob’s wheat fields, the golden rods blowing seductively in the breeze.  Because so many of us had never seen wheat fields, several groups stopped along the way to take pictures of the stalks.  During the reception, I heard Rob say his intent was to mill some of the wheat, barley and rye into flour and possibly sell it at DC farmers markets.  As an avid baker, the thought of having locally milled flour to work with was almost mind blowing.  Rob said he was still working on getting approved to sell it at a few markets, but believed he would be starting as soon as the end of July.  Seeing the wheat that could potentially be milled into the very flour I use brought this experience full circle.  As we continued on, I saw an entire patch of rainbow chard off to the side of where the dinner tables were placed.  “I just picked up some rainbow chard this morning at Arlington,” I heard a guest say, referring to the Arlington Farmers Market, where both Potomac and Wheatland Vegetable Farms sell their produce.  This was the essence of this farm to table experience:  seeing the very food you eat growing from the Earth and being served to you on a platter.

The dinner table was a long expanse of white jutting out from the green of the farmland.  A makeshift kitchen was set up close by, with Tony and his staff working feverishly over the open flames of the grill.  To allow for the guests to easily talk with the farmers during dinner, certain spots were “booked” for them.  Ellen and her husband Richard were seated two seats down on my right, while Susan and Chip sat one seat down on my left.  Georgia O’ Neal and Zach Lester of Tree and Leaf Farm were seated further down the table, but Georgia made a point of introducing herself to the other sections of the table.  “I’m just glad the weather is so beautiful for tonight,” she exclaimed as shook hands with those who regularly buy her produce at Dupont Circle, Falls Church and Mt. Pleasant Farmers Markets.  A New York City native, Georgia married Zach in 2002.  Together they turned Zach’s gardening business into a successful year round farm, emphasizing a pesticide free, sustainable approach to farming.  Located in Waterford, Virginia, Tree and Leaf Farm celebrate the cycles of nature, growing produce with the seasons.  In addition to their sales at local farmers markets, Tree and Leaf have their own community supported agriculture program, allowing consumers to buy shares of their farms harvest.

I sat next to an engaging couple I had met earlier during the reception, Amy and Ryan (not their real names – I forgot to ask for permission to use their names).  Both strong proponents of buying local, they made for wonderful dinner companions.  The first course was set before us, a chicory salad with deviled eggs and a Summer squash and cornbread panzanella.  The eggs were gathered that very morning from the chicken coops, bringing new meaning to farm fresh eggs.  The yolk was smooth and creamy, requiring little seasonings to bring out its rich flavor.  Knowing this, Tony and his staff used a minimal amount of ingredients to create the deviled egg, allowing its natural flavors to shine.  The salad course was paired with Horton’s Viognier 2008, a crisp wine that didn’t interfere with the taste of the food.  Ryan jokingly tried to get his wife Amy’s deviled egg, but was quickly rebuffed.  Ellen commented that the chicory salad greens were fresh from the farm that day, something that was evident by its sharp flavors.  The greens were tossed lightly with a vinaigrette of freshly picked herbs, providing an added depth to the salad.  The couple to my right, Carlea and Geoff, was frequent Vermillion guests and commented that the salad was quintessential Tony.  The buzz of conversation went up and down the large table, giving the dinner a communal feeling.  But plates were quickly polished off, with compliments to the chef echoing throughout the field.

The second course was quickly placed in front of us, a duo of the region’s seafood accented with fresh vegetables.  A Virginia wrapped local scallop was paired with a Hampton jumbo lump crab cake, served on large, family style platters to encourage guests to pass the plate and start a conversation.  The Boy was hesitant to try the crab cake because he wasn’t a fan of seafood.  Geoff encouraged him to at least give it a try, saying “Since you’re here, you may as well get the full experience!”  Convinced, he took a crab cake and scallop, taking a small bite of the crab cake first.  Even though he’d grown up on the Eastern Shore, his previous experiences with crab cakes had left him with a less than favorable impression.  But the simplicity of the jumbo lump crab meat tossed with fresh herbs won him over.  “This is a damn good crab cake,” he proclaimed as he continued to dig in.  Although he didn’t like the texture of the scallop, he appreciated the freshness of both the scallop and its ham companion.  The crab cake was served on a bed of oak leaf lettuce, tossed with the same fresh herb vinaigrette used on the chicory salad.  Rounding off the second course was a crudo of spring root vegetables, including fresh radishes and beets.  The gorgeous, deep red of the beets permeated the rest of the crudo, giving the dish a bejeweled quality.  The second course was paired with my favorite wine of the evening, Horton’s Petit Manseng 2007.

During the break between the second and third courses, I was able to get a closer look at the kitchen created in the middle of the farm land.  Tony, an easy going and affable guy, chatted freely with guests as he maneuvered the Piedmontese beef, rabbit and bison skirt steak around the huge, open flamed grills.  “The menu was driven by the harvest,” he said as he wiped his brow and turned over a massive piece of beef.  Tony’s drive to use local produce started with a simple pursuit of quality ingredients.  This pursuit led Tony and Vermillion to partner with local food sources, bringing the farm straight to the diners at the restaurant.  As they worked more and more with local food producers, their commitment to these producers grew stronger.  Events like the Summer Solstice Supper allows Vermillion to bring their diners in contact with the farms who supply feed them.  It also gives the diners an opportunity to learn how to incorporate more local foods into their diets.  Carlea lamented the fact that she and Geoff have yet to take advantage of the farmers markets in their area.  A chorus of farmers market suggestions met Carlea’s statement, ranging from the Arlington Courthouse market to the one held in Old Town early on Saturday mornings year round.  Geoff being the foodie of their family said he would love the opportunity to cook with farm fresh ingredients and we all encouraged him to do so.  “The difference in taste is phenomenal…after having a fresh beet, you can never go back to that vile stuff they throw in a can!” Ryan said, proudly showing off his “Support Local” t-shirt.

Before the third course was presented, a Cabernet Franc 2006 appeared in my glass.  Although I’m not a fan of reds, I could appreciate the clear, full bodied taste of the Cabernet and believed it to be a fitting accompaniment to the New Frontier Farm Mixed Grill.  The grill included the aforementioned Piedmontese beef, a rabbit terrine and a bison skirt steak.  Served with a red potato salad tossed in sheep’s milk yogurt and fresh dill, the meat was the star of the meal.  Seasoned only to bring out the meat’s natural flavors, the cuts were succulent and delicious.  The skirt steak was unbelievably velvety, almost melting in my mouth.  As with the second course, the mixed grill was served on heaping platters.  By this time in the dinner, everyone was relaxed and old friends, so the plates were passed around as if it was a family dinner.  As the plate was passed, the passer attempted to tell the recipient which meats were which.  This, however, proved to be difficult as we’d all had a lovely amount of wine at this point.  An attitude of “whatever, it’s all delicious” was adopted as the plates moved along the table.  The potato salad was a creamy mix of fresh dill and tangy yogurt, neither of which took away from the freshness of the red potatoes.  As with the other courses, the diners made quick work of the meat course, opting for seconds (and sometimes thirds).  The sun was beginning to set, bathing the table in an aura of oranges and reds.  The sight of the setting sun on the crops situated near the table only seemed to echo the significance of the meal.  Everything I had eaten throughout the reception and meal came from the very land I was sitting on.  The hard work of the farmers to my left and my right were celebrated by each dish and made me appreciate my close proximity to farm country all the more.

Throughout the meal, strangers conversed easily with each other, trading local food source tips and recipes to highlight the bounty of this season.  Email addresses and phone numbers were exchanged as more and more people realized how much they had in common with those they considered strangers at the start of the meal.  As dessert was served, everyone tucked into the Caromont Farm Chevre Cheesecake placed before them.  A strawberry black pepper preserves and Chantilly cream sauce accented the cheesecake, a mellower version of the heavier, traditional ricotta and cream cheese cheesecakes.  A sweet but flavorful Late Harvest Viognier NV was paired with the cheesecake – and a favorite of several of my dinner companions.  The knowledgeable servers explained how harvesting the grapes later allow for a sweeter, almost port like white wine.  Although heavier than all the other wines served throughout the meal, the Late Harvest Viognier was still a crowd pleaser.  The beautiful weather we were fortunate enough to enjoy threatened to take a turn when a few drops were released from the sky.  No one rushed to leave, however; the meal and the conversation were too good to rush.  Carlea and I discovered our families were from South Georgia – the very same city in fact!  We talked small towns, fireflies and Piggly Wiggly, while The Boy and Ryan discussed their shared career of computers.  Geoff met a fellow foodie to his left and plans were discussed for a foodie throw down sometime in the near future.  The farmers talked about their farms, but also about their love of food and their everyday lives.  Ellen said she didn’t work any of the Sunday farmers markets because, “We all have to have one day of rest, right?”  And Sandy freely admitted her unabashed love for the comfortable Crocs, a fashion no-no in the city but a wonderful treat for farmers’ feet.

A final treat of Virginia peanut cookies was served along with iced espresso before Tony came out to greet all the diners.  A rousing round of applause greeted him, along with flashes of cameras and shouts of praise.  He graciously accepted the compliments and chatted with every section of the table before heading back to clean up.  As we all headed back up to the orchard to our cars, full and happy, the sun gave way to night.  The very fireflies Carlea and I discussed seemed to be lighting the path back to the orchard, reminding me that I was a long way from the city.  This was a unique event, allowing the consumer and the producer to come together over the very food that binds them.  A celebration of the season and the hard workers who bring it to us every week, the supper was a huge success.  And I walked away richer in the knowledge that I truly know where my food is coming from.

Click here for the full set of photographs I took from this wonderful meal!

I know, I know…where have I been and why haven’t I posted in almost a month?  Well, honestly, life has gotten the better of me.  I am in the middle of a serious hunt for a new apartment and it looks like I may be (gasp) moving out of Shaw.  I know! I know!  The blog is called Adventures in SHAW but I’ve found myself gravitating more and more to the Columbia Heights area of DC.  I am looking for a bigger kitchen and more space (preferably enough to hold a good sized dining room table for future dinner parties) and I’m taking my time trying to find the perfect new home.  Believe it or not, this takes up MASSIVE quantities of time, leaving one too exhausted to set up whatever she may be cooking for a photo shoot.  Give me some time and I’ll be back up and running in no time.  But this is not the reason for my post.

Common Good City Farm (formerly 7th Street Garden) has a new home in the LeDroit Park neighborhood of DC (3rd and V Street NW to be exact) and they’re throwing a bash at Vegetate, in the lovely Shaw neighborhood, on Monday March 16th!  Come out and enjoy some amazing local food, drinks galore and tunes by DJ DrEDD.  The event runs from 6:30 to 9:30 and proceeds go to Common Good City Farm!  For more information about the event, visit the Common Good City Farm website.

And I promise once the dust settles, I’ll be back to presenting kick ass food porn in no time!

Ladies and gentlemen, I may or may not have a bit of a problem. Remember those wonderful homemade tortillas I told you about before? Did I tell you they were amazingly good? Did I also tell you I dreamed about them that very first night I made them?  Well I did…and insisted on making a fresh batch the very next weekend.  It’s easy to tell you how to make these tortillas, but I thought showing you would be so much more fun.  Not, mind you, as fun as eating them…preferably warm.

Although I already chronicled this recipe in the Chorizo Soft Taco post, I wanted to show you just how easy they are to make.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.

Using your hands, mix the cold butter into the dry ingredients until a coarse texture is formed.

Add the water to the dry ingredients, creating the dough.

Using your hands, incorporate the water fully with the dry ingredients, creating a dough.

Once the dough is formed, turn it out onto a floured surface.

Knead the dough until a soft, elastic dough is formed.

Pinch off eight to ten golf ball sized dough balls.

Place the balls on a cookie sheet and cover with a damp cloth.  Allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.

After the dough balls have rested, take one and roll it out into a disc.  Do this with the rest of the dough balls.

Warm a griddle over medium heat and then place one dough disc on it.  Wait about 30 seconds before flipping it for the first time.

Using a spatula, gently press the sides of the tortilla to encourage it to puff up a bit (not that I have to point this out, but I’m not the one flipping the tortillas in these pictures…but I am guessing you figured this out).

After about a minute, flip the tortilla again.

Allow the tortilla to cook for about 20 more seconds and then place the tortilla in a basket lined with kitchen towels.  Immediately cover the tortilla before starting on the next tortilla.

I must warn you these tortillas are fucking awesome (in my humble opinion) and can lead to dreams of a giant spatula chasing you down the street.  Or that could just be my own little delusions…

Well hello there!  So nice of you to stop by!  Why yes, there is something different around here, thanks for noticing!  The new design is a labor of love that the fabulous Ryn Bruins (you can contact her at rynone@gmail.com) created from the meandering thoughts in my head.  Ryn did an amazing job of listening to my vision and bringing it to life and she was a DREAM to work with throughout the process!

I am still trying to figure out how to reduce my old images in order to keep the site from going slow, so please bear with me!  If anyone has any experience reducing image sizes without having to individually do it for each picture, please let me know!

Anyhoo, welcome to the new Adventures in Shaw!  You’ll notice a few new things (like the slideshow of food photography – Ryn created a widget that allows me to change it out to suit my mood) and hopefully will find the theme as peachy keen as I do (oh yeah, I said peachy keen)!

Adventures in Shaw is getting a face lift!  As a part of this face lift, I have to do a lot of behind the scenes techie stuff (and I’m not good at behind the scenes techie stuff).  So please be patient and hopefully I will have the site back up by this evening!