Olympic Coast Cuisine

Cuisine is an art form that engages all of the human senses. Foods that are well-prepared with fresh, local ingredients impart a sense of a place and its culture. Resplendent with fresh, organically grown fruits and vegetables, as well as coastal seafood, handcrafted wines and local foods, the Olympic Peninsula has much to offer the culinary tourist. Farmers, restaurants and hotels have successfully endorsed an "eat local" movement and we are proud of our longstanding agricultural heritage.

The Ingredients
Peninsula farms such as Nash's Organic Produce, supply local restaurants, grocery stores and farmers' markets with fresh raw ingredients. As the region's largest certified organic grower, Nash's produces more than 100 varieties of fruits and vegetables.

Other local producers include Dry Creek Farm, a certified organic provider of farm fresh eggs and poultry; and the Dungeness Valley Creamery, a family farm providing raw milk and cream from their own herd of Jersey cows. Their milk, in turn, is used by Mount Townsend Creamery in Port Townsend to create delicious artisan cheeses.

Lavender is another of the region's signature culinary attractions. The Peninsula town of Sequim is the official Lavender Capital of North America™. Home to many lavender farms, most have wonderful gift-shops open during the June to August season or year-round. You'll find a wide range of lavender products, from seasonings and baked goods to bath products and decor. The Sequim Lavender Festival and Sequim Lavender Farm Faire, held the third week every July, draws visitors from around the world.
For more information, check out www.lavendergrowers.org and
www.sequimlavenderfarms.org

Salmon, steelhead, trout, oysters, mussels, razor clams and the famous geoduck clams are a few examples of fresh-from-the-sea Olympic coastal cuisine. While visitors will find a realm of local seafood on Peninsula restaurant menus, outdoor adventurers may prefer to reel in their own catch! Several Olympic Peninsula rivers, including the Sol Duc, Hoh, Bogachiel, Calawah and Quileute, offer world-class salmon and steelhead fishing. The Olympic Peninsula is also home to some of the best clamming beaches in the state. Check seasonal regulations before heading out.

The Preparation
Peninsula chefs start with the freshest local ingredients and strive through meticulous preparation to offer diners a culinary experience that is quintessentially "Northwest." Many of our restauranteurs believe that supporting local growers provides the most delicious cuisine, reduces carbon emissions from trucking products over long distances and vitalizes the local economy.

The Alderwood Bistro in Sequim staunchly supports the "eat local" movement, as do Bella Italia, Joy's Wine Bistro, Toga's, Michael's Steak and Seafood and The Tudor Inn Bed & Breakfast in Port Angeles; Port Townsend's Silverwater Cafe and T's Restuarant; and Timber House Restaurant & Lounge in Quilcene.

The Local Vintage
Many Peninsula restaurants feature wines produced at the region's seven boutique wineries. Grapes from some of the Eastern Washington's most esteemed vineyards are crushed, fermented, aged and bottled on site. Each winemaker's personal style brings out unique characteristics in his or her wines, which pair nicely with Olympic coastal cuisine.

A 2007 climate and landscape study found the North Olympic Peninsula soil and climate characteristics suitable for growing cool-weather grape varieties. Some wineries are already producing wines with locally-grown grapes and a number of vitacultests have expressed strong interest in cultivating more vineyard plantings in our area.

Wine touring is a culinary experience in and of itself. The Peninsula wineries warmly welcome visitors to their tasting rooms — the winemaker can often be found behind the bar pouring wine and answering questions.

For more information about area wineries, check out www.olympicpeninsulawineries.org

Celebration
Several festivals throughout the year celebrate the Peninsula's culinary abundance and visitors are encouraged to join in the fun. These include the North Sound Wineries' Red Wine & Chocolate Tour in February; the Lavender Festival in July; the Edible Festival in Sequim in September; the Jefferson and Clallam County Farm tours in September and October, respectively; the Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival in October; and A Taste of the Peninsula in November.

Here's an article about Olympic Peninsula Cuisine: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2013154014_pacificptaste...