A very local Whidbey Island Mother's Day Menu

So every once in a while I slow down a bit to think about how to combine all the great food we grow on the farm and all the great food I get from my local Whidbey farmers.  This weekend, with Mother's Day and all, and the sun shining and the food growing, is inspiring my taste buds.  And this is the menu I'm thinking about....

* Spring Asian Greens Frittata with blooming Pea Vines
* Rhubarb Bread drizzled with Island Apiaries honey
* Locally made sausage (or bacon!)
* Amazing secret Mother's Day chevre from Little Brown Farm (she's been posting on her facebook page but won't say what it is to make us come see for ourself!  Naughty cheese maker!)
* French breakfast radishes (cuz my mom loves radishes!)
* A scrumptious dessert treat from Treetop Baking

Yukina Savoy Tatsoi.  Yum Yum!

Granted...I've got some shopping to do this morning from Little Brown Farm for the cheese and the dessert from Treetop and the honey from Island Apiaries. All of those you can find at today at the Bayview Farmer's Market or alternatively, Bayleaf stores in Coupeville and Oak Harbor are both smart enough to carry Little Brown Farm and Treetop goodies and I think Island Apiaries too (Beth is the queen when it comes to getting only the best in her shop!).  For the sausage (or bacon! I haven't decided yet!), I'm going to stop by Scotty's Farm to Market shop in Freeland.  Scotty has a SERIOUS selection of awesome local meats for sale and the sausage I've gotten from his in the past has been AMAZING!  (like I ate almost a whole pack myself, oops). 
The frittata veggies, eggs and rhubarb for the bread, however, I can source most of that direct from the farm. Or for you folks, come by and see us today at the Coupeville or Bayview farmer's market.  Here's how I'm thinking I'll do it....
First the frittata.  This is a basic frittata recipe.  Make sure to have a spatula, whisk and an oven-proof skillet (preferably cast-iron). 

• eggs (anywhere from three, for a small frittata, to seven, for a large frittata)
  
• salt (sea salt is preferred)
  
• pepper
  
• milk (optional)
  
• oil or butter (to prevent sticking)
• Cheese, grated.  We prefer Little Brown Farm's capriezella.  About 1/4 to 1/2 cup.

Now that you have the ingredients and the equipment, get to work!

1. Mix the eggs, salt, and pepper together in a bowl or cup with a whisk or fork until thoroughly mixed. I like to add a splash of milk for taste and consistency. Experiment with this to find your own preference.
   
2. Turn on the cooktop to medium heat. Put the oil or butter into the cast iron skillet and place the skillet on the cooktop. Spread the oil or butter around, then add the egg mixture.
   
3. Preheat the broiler to high heat. And sprinkle in the cheese mixture. 
   
4. Next, take the skillet off the cooktop and place it in the oven under the broiler. Broil for a few minutes, until the top just starts to brown and bubble.
   
5. Remove the skillet from the oven with an oven mitt. Careful! The skillet handle will be very hot!

But I'm going to take that and into step two, BEFORE I add the egg mixture I'm going to throw in some amazing greens and stuff.  I'm gonna chop up first some garlic greens and scallions and brown them in the oil/butter.  Once they are soft, I'm going to chop up in fairly small pieces some Tatsoi, some Baby Pac Choi, some Ruby Streaks mustard and throw that into the mix.  About 2 cups worth for our frittata for 6 folks is about right I think.  I'm going to cook that on medium low heat (make sure not to burn) and once they are soft I will make sure to pour off any extra liquid that might have come out of the greens, a bit more butter and oil so the eggs don't stick, and add in my eggs. 
Then....once the whole thing is done I'm going to lay it on a beautiful spread of flowering pea vines and next to it I'm going to plate up that amazing looking cheese from Little Brown Farm (whatever the heck it is!) with some gorgeous French Breakfast radishes, a plate of sausage, the rhubarb bread still warm and sliced and drizzled with Island Apiaries honey and the dessert from TreeTop ready in the waiting.  Voila! 
Oh yes...and here is the Rhubarb Bread recipe (courtesy of my mom who found this somewhere....).
                     MIMIRENEE’S BEST RHUBARB BREAD EVER!

1-1/2 C  brown sugar
2/3 C butter, softened
1 egg, beaten
1 C sour milk or buttermilk (I put some lemon juice in my cup of milk)
1 tsp vanilla
2-1/2 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 C nuts, chopped  (I used walnuts)
2 C finely chopped rhubarb
Sprinkle of brown sugar for topping

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees and grease the bottoms of 2 loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix brown sugar and butter together until creamy.  Blend in egg, milk and vanilla.  Gradually add flour, baking soda and salt until batter is smooth.  Gently fold in nuts and rhubarb.
 Pour into loaf pans and lightly sprinkle brown sugar over top of loaves.  Bake for 1 hour or until top is browned and a toothpick comes out of the center clean.  

Yum! Yum!  Hope everyone has a GREAT Mother's Day!
Farmer Georgie
Willowood Farm
And oh yes....we will be at the Coupeville and Bayview Farmer's markets today! With the following....
From Willowood:
* Blooming Pea Vines
* Tatsoi, Ruby Streaks and Raab bunches
* Baby Pac Choi
* Garlic Greens
* Rockwell and Peregion Dry Beans
* Rhubarb
* Beet bunches (lmt amt and at Bayview only!  Come early!)
* Carrot bunches (lmt amt and at Bayview only! Come early)
* French Breakfast radishes
And we also will have....
From Prairie Bottom farm
* Chard bunches
* Kale Bunches
* Spring onions
* Herbs
* Winter Squash
* Limelight dry beans
And from Whidbey Green Goods I think we have some cauliflower, basil, spinach and other goodies plus grains from both Ebey Road Farm and Georgina! 
Come see us at market.  It's gonna be a great one.