Menu: The Herbfarm

Every year at the motss.con there's a foodie dinner the Thursday night before events begin. At the Seattle motss.con.xxiv in 2011, dinner was at The Herbfarm. We intentionally got there early (we were shooting for 6 but still made it there by 5:45) so we could take the garden tour. It started with a cup of hot tea (orange blossom, honey, and rosemary), and we got to sample several of the herbs and learn about the history and philosophy of the property as we went through the gardens with one of the owners. Back to the restaurant proper for the 7pm seating; the 14 of us had the private room. Between the first and second courses, we went to the library (my half) or the main dining room to hear the other owner talk a bit about the philosophy of the restaurant and introduce the chef and staff. The chef and sommelier discussed the 9-course menu and its wine pairings before we went back to our seats to dig in.

The meal itself was wonderful:

• Of Sea & Soil — Marble Onions with Paddlefish Caviar, Onion Granola, and Chervil. Oil-Cured Smelt, Smoked Shad Roe Emulsion, Salicornia, and Goose Tongue Greens. Cured Asaparagus with Oregon Summer Truffle, Homemamde Mustard & 3-Hour Hen Yolk.
  
  Treveri Cellars Sparkling Gewürztraminer, Demi-Sec, Yakima Valley.
  
  This appetizer trio was very nice. The onions were smooth in flavor, the smelt reminded me strongly of the smoked sablefish I had as a kid, the the 3-hour yolk was a delightful custard texture with just the right hint of mustard to complement the lightly-cured asparagus.
  
  
• Spring Salmon Pas de Deux — Smoked King Cannoli & Poached Columbia River King, Breakfast Radish, Pickled Shallots, Wasabi Soubise, and Mustard Greens.
  
  2009 Poet's Leap Riesling, Columbia Valley, Washington.
  
  The cannoli was actually a pastry dough more than a pasta, and the mousse was tasty and smooth as you'd expect. The poached salmon was done so slowly and carefully that it still had its flavor, and the radishes were a nice peppery bite to go with it. The wasabi was real, not the food-colored horseradish one finds so often here.
  
  
• In the Pink: Pigs & Peas — Spring Pea Agnolotti and Mangalitsa Pig Coppa, With Manilla Clams, Carrots, and Lovage Oil.
  
  2010 Syncline Rosé, Columbia Valley, Washington.
  
  The English pea puree in the agnolotti was silky smooth, the whole peas in sliced pods were crisp, the clams succulent, and the tiny carrots crunchy. A wonderful mix of flavors and textures.
  
  
• 'Shrooms, Spuds, Sorrel — Crushed Baby Red Potatoes with Warm Sorrel Sauce, Roasted Spring Boletes, Braised Cascade Morels, and Arugula.
  
  2008 Westrey Pinot Noir, Abbey Ridge, Dundee Hills, Oregon.
  
  The morels were delightful, the boletes (also known as porcini) were tolerable though not my preference, the potatoes crispy, and the sorrel sauce bright and smooth.
  
  
• Trifecta of Spring Lamb — Grilled Glazed Ellensburg Lamb Loin with Spicy Herb Salad — Lamb Jus, Crispy Lamb Belly, Romanesco Cauliflower Ragout, Olympic Peninsula Saffron Chickpeas & Poached Tenderloin.
  
  2008 Désignée Cabernet Franc, Conner-Lee Vinyard, Yakima Valley.
  
  The lamb was good but not superb; the texture was excellent but the flavor was much milder than I expected and not very lamby. The chickpeas were very good too.
  
  
• Sheepy Cheese — Black Sheep Creamery Saint Helen's Cheese, Spring Thyme, Puffed Grain, Farm Greens, Sweet Oregon-Vermouth Vinaigrette and First Salmon Berries.
  
  Chateau d'Yquem.
  
  The cheese was semi-hard and very tasty. The puffed grain was flash-fried farro. The chef and his dog forraged for the salmon berries that morning.
  
  
• Rhubarb Textural Tower — Warm Rhubarb Consommé with Angelica Leaf Infusion, Glazed Rhubarb, Rhubarb Sorbet, and Rhubarb Tuille.
  
  The sorbet melted almost immediately when the consommé was poured on, which was disappointing. The intent of contrasting temperatures was obvious but the implementation didn't quite work. The flavors were all good, and the tuille added an interesting crunch to the smooth sorbet-and-consommé.
  
  
• First Cherries & Lemon Thyme — Wenatchee Bing Cherry-Oregon Olive Oil Cake, Lemon Thyme-Crème Fraîsch Ice Cream, Whipped Spring Honey, and Candied Hazelnuts.
  
  The olive oil cake wasn't anything special; it was good for what it was, but it's not a favorite of mine. The lemon thyme ice cream was very nice, and the whipped honey looked just like whipped cream and was light and airy and honey-y.
  
  
• Coffees, Teas, & Local Beverages; Sweet Treats — Malted Raspberry Milk Chocolate Truffle. Sweet Cicely White Chocolate. Bay Caramel. Lavender Brittle.
  
  2010 Perennial Vintners Raspberry Port, "Frambelle," Pguet Sound, WA.
  
  The port was a bit mediciney to my palate (especially after the Yquem). The lavender brittle didn't taste very lavendery to me (though it's not a flavor one wants strong). The chocolate truffle and the Sweet Cicely-filled white chocolate were my favorites here. I had a cup of the Sniffles tea which was nice enough.

In addition, they had two house-made breads (rustic seed bread and wild-yeasted savory epi) from their wood oven, with house-churned Jersey cow butter. At least one of us wasn't drinking alcohol, and they had a variety of juices and infusions; several of us had dietary restrictions (e.g., no lactose, no dill, no seafood) and they had reasonable substitutions in their courses. They also sent everyone home with a thank-you card with a sage shortbread. We finally left the restaurant around 11:30pm.

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