Foodie Heaven on the Olympic Peninsula

Over Memorial Day Weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the Port Townsend Artisan Food Festival at the Port Townsend Farmers Market.

The festival was a great addition to the eclectic and fun market atmosphere. As I perused the market for veggies, goodies, and snacks, I had the chance to try some of Mt. Townsend’s cheeses and enjoy music by the Unexpected Brass Band/Rhythm Planet.

Throughout the day, food and beverage classes were offered for $20, including Seasonal Cooking, The Art of Pickling, Cheese & Yogurt Making Basics, Hard Cider Demo, and Fermented Foods. The courses were put on by CedarRoot Folk School and taught by local farmers, chefs, and artisans. There was something for everyone. The festival even included children’s activities such as story time, craft activities, and food juggling.

Around 2pm, The Fireside’s Executive Chef Dan Ratigan gave an excellent cooking demo that was not to be missed. Chef Dan created a delectable dish for the crowd – Moonlight Farm Pork Braised with Eaglemount Ginger Cider. It was a hit! Both children and adults flocked to Chef Dan to try a taste and get their copy of the recipe.

After I finished up shopping and watching the cooking demos, I headed over to the grand opening of the Finnriver Orchard. Oh. My. Gosh. It was beautiful. With cider and kombucha on tap, delicious pizzas from Dented Buoy, and the stunning views of the Chimacum Valley – I was in foodie heaven.

I sat in the Cider Garden enjoying my Garden Fresh pizza and glass of Black Currant cider and thought about how grateful we are to be on the Olympic Peninsula surrounded by not just amazing produce and artisan meats and cheeses, but for the unique foodie culture created by the farmers, chefs, and foragers. I look forward to see what remarkable delicacies and events the Olympic Peninsula brings next.

Until then, there’s always the farmers market…

Written by: Kaitlin Chester